The Look in Her Eyes
by Lucky Avalon
Summary: Warning: Strong Fic.  When Chief asks something to Carmen, the detectives find out that the world Carmen lives in is more than what they bargain for.  Is she really the criminal they have come to know or is she someone they never expected? Read till Chapter 2 for a good impression.
1. Chapter 1

Long time no see, as promised I'm creating a new fanfic and it will be on a darker tone than the previous ones. If you are offended by bad words, hard situations, murder and the like, this will not be a fic for you. I don't' know when will I finish this fic, this idea has been swimming in my head for long, even before I finished All Night. I don't know where it will lead; I'm just in love with how it will start.

The props: All Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? Characters are from their respective owners, I don't claim them as my own. The other characters are from my personal library and the original theme of the story is my own.

Well, here goes nothing.

THE LOOK IN HER EYES

Scene 1

A rainy night was looming over the city of London, but still the clouds held onto their precious crystals not willing to let go of them. Looked like the clouds where afraid of messing up her plans for the night. As such one of many nights the master thief admired her careful planning. Carmen Sandiego was no stranger to rough nights, in fact last night was a rough one, but she was extremely satisfied with his performance. She licked her lips while remembering his touch.

"Everything is a go, Boss Lady." A raspy voice came over the intercom.

"Good, start the engines."

A small whirl of the electric motor indicated the operation had started. The plan to steal the great unveiled sculpture in the London Park was underway. She had lots of plans for this one; a big fat pay check from an Indonesian buyer was at the end of the success line. It is true she liked to steal just for the challenge of it, but it had been long since that wasn't enough for her.

A blue portal on the south side of the park appeared and out of it jumped 2 figures. Acme Detectives Ivy and Zack scanned the area for any events going on from the thief. When Zack spotted the giant sculpture moving and indicated Ivy the way.

"This is irritating," Ivy retorted.

"Yeah, it's like babysitting without pay." Zack answered.

"How does he expect us to catch Carmen if the only thing he sent us to do was watch her and wait. Something is not right with this little bro."

"The detectives are here, boss lady." An unnamed henchman signaled to them.

"Ah, just in time." Carmen smiled. Part of stealing anything was the thrill she got out of being chased by them. "Hope they make it interesting tonight. It has been some weeks I haven't come out in public."

The sculpture had been safely placed on the platform ready to be rolled to the safe way for the helicopter to lift it and bring it to the buyer. Everyone expected the detectives to give chase to the vehicle and so they prepared for it. The vehicle started to roll down the part with speed and everyone prepared to throw the detectives of their trail.

Carmen got a little excited when they closed down on the detective expecting them to jump on her. Closer and closer they came to the detectives, and…

They passed the detectives without them even moving, not even looking their way…

"What?" Carmen said, looking back at them. Ivy and Zack didn't even turned to see them pass by, they had their backs to Carmen and Zack was even playing with a rock under his feet.

The escape caravan continued to roll down the park and into the helicopter pick up point. Carmen still was watching them but Ivy and Zack where just conversing with themselves all the way in the middle of the park. Everyone was a bit shocked and they didn't understand why everything was going so perfectly well. They were hooking the vehicle to the helicopter rig and preparing for the escape.

"That was odd." Hugo came behind Carmen, startling her a little. She was surprised as everyone by this.

"Did we do something wrong. This is not even funny." Carmen was a bit agitated and Hugo sensed it and stepped back a bit. "Whatever, better for us. Lift and lets go, tonight we get our revenues."

Loud cheers were heard from behind Ivy and Zack and they still didn't dare to look. This was indeed strange even for them, and neither one liked the idea.

"You know we could have just captured her right there, sis."

"Yes…. i…. know…" Ivy was very angry at this. "C-5 us out of here there is nothing else to do."

"Calm down sis, he was the one that said not do anything." They both disappeared in the blue portal (woot portal gun too!), as Carmen disappeared into the night.

Scene 2

A week later after the news about the unveiled sculpture ceased a strange red figure came walking in a sexy stride in the Plaza.

"The sculpture in the Petronas Towers," said Carmen as she admired the view. "I think I asked way to little for this job, but I'm sure the detectives will not let me pass again."

A little after 3 am, the floor under the sculpture started to rise scarring the guardsmen in the plaza making them leave and call for back up. Helicopters above threw their rig and henchmen prepared to engage the sculpture when a blue portal appeared and out of it came Zack and Ivy.

Carmen expected them with glee, finally some thrill this time. She had planned a ground excape with a helicopter lift near the bay area. She waited patiently for them while she directed her men for the rig installment. She waited and waited for any sound coming from the detectives.

Carmen turned around to find them sitting on one of the benches at the plaza just looking at her.

"What the fuck is wrong with them." Cursed Carmen as anger creped on her voice and the henchmen behind her freaked out a little but continued to work. After the rig was installed and everyone was en route to escape she decided to make it to the rig and forget the ground escape hoping they catch on to it and try to stop her.

They didn't move, just watch her as she soared above their heads heading east.

"Am I loosing it?" Carmen said into the night.

"We could have waved goodbye at her, would have had a bigger impact on all of this." Zack said comically.

"Yes…. i…. know…" Ivy was even more angry at this. "C-5 us out of here I'm tired."

Scene 3

Two days later at the Guggenheim Museum a pair of guards were roped down on the main exhibit floor while henchmen worked their way to the center sculpture.

"I asked for too much for this job." Carmen said looking at her plan sheet. "That is why we will deliver a day earlier than expected. I'm an honorable woman after all." She really didn't expected the blue portal that opened on the lobby floor as she hadn't given them any clues. Their arrival was expected but unnoticed.

Zack and Ivy started admiring the other exhibitions as Carmen and her henchmen worked around the sculpture. As the thief was nearing completion she turned towards them and saw them completely ignoring her. This was irritating for her and everyone else.

"The rig iz compleateds Carmen," Sara informed her and she looked at the detectives. "Zhey aren't doing zheir jobs that well anymore."

"They are fucking with me." Sara backed of; an angry Carmen was not a good evening idea.

"HEY, you detectives." Carmen shouted with as much tranquility as she could muster. "Sorry to interrupt your visiting hours but we are trying to work here; you guys might as well be useful and help us out." Zack and Ivy looked at each other and shrugged. Then they kept looking and discussing a post-modern painting on the center wall.

"What is wrong with you two. Hey asssss….. id… kids, this isn't fun anymore. Where is the thrill of even stealing from under your noses when you just won't acknowledge it? Are you guys trying to bore me out of business?" Carmen walked closer to them. 'Cause it actually is working' the though.

"Carmen, pleaz lets go. What about our client?" Sara whispered over the intercom.

Carmen abided she wasn't going to keep playing with this kids anymore. If they weren't' going to do anything, she was going to take the world for herself.

"We could have asked for dental plan when she asked us to work, sis." Zack stretched his arms backwards.

"Yes…. i…. know…" Ivy was extremely angry at this. "C-5 us out of here cause I demand ice cream cake."

Scene 5

"Zhey aren't caring abouts us anymore Carmen, zhis is a greats opportunity." Sara was organizing her papers on the conference table in Carmen's hideout.

"It's like they want us to keep stealing, that is good for business." Hugo had become a sort of guard for Carmen and commanded her henchmen in all aspects of her organization.

It was true; the detectives not bothering her anymore was making her have an even greater margin of profit. More and interesting clients were arriving at her doors and she liked the little power gain she was getting out of it all. It was a big deal in the underworld when police weren't even going to bother capturing a criminal. She was becoming a force to recon with, however, she knew something wasn't right.

"There has to be an explanation for this. I couldn't just have fallen off ACME's radar like that. Have they given up on ever to capture me?" This was actually a great thought in her mind; she liked the idea of just being un-capturable and being labeled as such. Was like a goal she just reached in life.

She sat in silence for awhile contemplating her hands deeply immersed in her thoughts.

"I don't like when she gets all deep in her mind like that." Hugo whispered Sarah.

"Yez, but she alwayz comes with a goods idea."

And a good idea did come to the thief's mind. It wasn't pretty but it was gonna be hell of fun for her and her henchmen.

"Next time, we will confront them." Carmen said slamming a pocket knife on the table. "If they think they will get out of this that easily they have another thing coming." She smiled a bit.

Hugo and Sarah looked at each other realizing their boss had declared a small war on ACME. They had been waiting for this for years.

"What is your plan boss lady." Hugo sat down and Sarah pulled her chair closer.

"Next time, we will ambush them and make them rethink they can just leave without paying us back for our time. Heck, they may have the balls to retaliate and things get back to normal. I just want to have that thrill of the chase back again."

Ah, so this is just to get the detectives to chase her again. Hugo and Sarah sighted a little. 'At least we can haz fun withs zhem.' Sarah smiled at him and Hugo was satisfied.

Scene 6

"Chief I can't take anymore of this," Ivy threw herself on the office couch. "I'm gonna go crazy if we don't' chase her once, atleast once more."

"Face it Chief this plan of yours isn't working at all." Zack was playing with a paper plane throwing it in the air. "She will just continue to steal things and even worse, she now doesn't even care we get to the scene, she ignored us in that New York heist. It wasn't until she finished that she spoke to us and just shouted things."

"I know Carmen she will crack and will come to speak to us personally."

"Chief with all due respect, Carmen is not the 'I want to speak to you' kind of person. She is a criminal and will not abide to a simple cop logic." Ivy stretched on the couch.

"If you just want to speak to her, why not come with us on one of our missions and just tell it to her. 'Hey Carmen, can we talk, please?' that might get her attention even more."

"I can't do that. I can't just show up at a crime scene just to talk to her. All my activities are monitored by the US State Department and I answer to them. I need you guys to be able to get close to her to tell her she has to meet me at the rooftop of the old police station by next full moon. I can free my way there telling them I wanted to spend some time remembering the past as I sometimes do."

"Chief what is this important thing you have to tell her before the full moon?" Ivy sat up curious, it wasn't like the Chief to keep secrets from them.

"I can't really say. Just please help me do this."

"Alright, already." Zack crashed the airplane. "But in all honesty Chief, with us it is not enough. We need someone that really catches her attention in order to make her come down from that cloud. Like Sahura for example. Send him with us next time."

"Hum, I think I have someone better."

Scene 7

The door to Chief central room opened and Ivy and Zack turned to see who had come in as since 3 weeks ago that room was sealed off only to VIP personnel, aka Zack and Ivy.

"Hey Kevin good to see you ma'man!" Chief floated to him and gave him an imaginary high five.

"Hey old boss, what's up." Kevin was an early 30s detective and an extremely great guy, somewhat quiet by what Ivy had observed in the years at the agency.

"Hey Kevin, how's it going in the documents department. Anything juicy covered up in conspiracy?" Zack saluted him.

"Nothing I haven't been menaced by death with, Zack. And Ivy, the last time we practiced you beat me to a pulp, I expect an ice cream cone in payment." He hugged Ivy.

"It will be done." Ivy liked Kevin, he was the best practice buddy she had found in the agency, when he has the time.

"So, I think this isn't a social visit I'm doing here. What is it about Chief?"

"Well, I…. needhelpwithcarmen." Chief said very fast.

"What?"

"I need help with Carmen."

"Oh, that is why." At the mention of her name Ivy noted he became melancholic. He must have worked with Carmen as a detective and he must be still hurt by her betrayal. "I can't Chief, you know that."

"Kevin, please listen to me.."

"Chief, you know my position at that." Kevin interrupted him. "I lost my job as a detective and got sent to documents department cause I refused to pick the job of catching Carmen. I can't go back on my word after all this years, all this wasted time. Please don't' ask me to catch her. 'Cause you know I'm the only one capable of doing it in one try."

At this confession Zack and Ivy looked at each other.

'He can catch Carmen, how sure can he be of that?' Ivy was a bit ticked off.

"I don't need you to catch her."

"I… sort of don't fallow your thoughts here."

"I just need you to go with Ivy and Zack and just stand there and do nothing while she steals the next thing." Chief said this with a smile on his face.

"Is he delusional?" Kevin turned to Ivy.

"No, he apparently wants to make her curious." Ivy said folding her hands.

"Curious?"

"He wants Carmen to be curious enough to come meet us in person so we can tell her to meet him at the old police station rooftop at midnight next full moon." Zack said.

"But… why not go to one of the missions yourself?"

"Cause I can't, ok!"

"Ok, so, you just want me to go there and be a sort of eye candy, for her to swoop in?"

"Yes."

"And you won't use me as a way to catch her?"

"Yes, no catching I just need to talk to her in private. I will not even catch her when we talk in the rooftop. Full immunity."

"Alright, I'll do it under one condition."

"And that is?"

"I'll do it my way and we will meet on the location I decide."

"What? Hey I'm the boss here you ca…."

"Trust me. If you want her to fall for this stupid plan of your, no offence, my way is the way to do it."

"Ok, deal. Now go and see where she is."

The end of chapter 1

Uuu, bad ass Carmen is always such a treat to write. Isn't this story exciting?


	2. Chapter 2

Yes, Carmen is a bit more hard core and dark in this fic but that is just to set the mood. Let the story grow on you and you will see why I'm picturing her as that. They are also bad mouthed between them, I'm really trying to portray her with a bit more realism that what I have been portraying her. Carmen is a criminal and I will treat her as such. You rock Carmen!

But what is this fic about? Oh, keep reading, cause you know it is gonna be epic.

THE LOOK IN HER EYES chap 2

Scene 1

Washington, DC was experiencing a beautiful starry night sky(props if that song popped into your head), but it was a bit chilly for some reason.

"You are late for your presidential reunion Lincoln," Carmen smiled at the statue.

"Amazing that someone is willing to pay 5 mills for this statue." Hugo was amazed at the size. "This is the biggest one yet we have snatched this month."

"Everzhing is ready for zhem," Sara came behind them.

"Good they will show up." Said Carmen suppressing a smile as she raised her head to watch the stars.

Scene 2

"A bit chilly do't ya think," Zack complained.

"It is a beautiful night, man up Zack." Kevin said watching the stars.

"Stop with the brolove and lets go, Carmen is at work." Ivy rushed past them.

Scene 3

"They are here, boss lady," the intercom voiced.

"Excellent, wait in your positions and I'll give you the signal."

This was indeed the heaviest and biggest statue they had lifted and many more henchmen where necessary for the work. During a robbery Carmen didn't spread the budget thin, she wanted the best for the best results. As she commanded how she wanted the rig placed and bitched about the time it took her men to work around the stuff, she was in constant surveillance for the detectives.

"There is a third detective with them, this time, Carmen," Hugo made her notice as he started to prepare his muscles. "And he is a big fellow."

"Cool it probably Josha, or some other detective to make their appearance more annoying, but not tonight, tonight I'm peaceful." And she was peaceful carefully buying her time to give the signal.

The detectives stopped short of the stairs, catching a bit of their breaths. Carmen continued to direct her henchmen as planned, not paying attention to them. As soon as she heard they got composed she started to raise her hand to give the signal.

"Hello Stranger!" A loud voice over a speaker was heard.

Carmen stopped at mid signal trying to regain her bearings. 'It can't be him' Carmen though. She slowly turned around as Sarah stepped up to be by her side. Carmen walked to the start of the stairs and looked down at the detectives. There he was, standing tall and ruggedly handsome (yes, I watch it!) like always. She extended her hands and in a few seconds a speaker was placed in her hand.

"Hello back!" she answered and waited, it was their salutation code.

"You look good!" he smilled

"You too!" she smilled back.

Minutes passed no one moving or saying anything. They both just stared at each other. 'This is incredible, he made her stay in one spot for all this time.' Ivy was really impressed, looked like he lived up to his confession.

"Everything is ready boss lady, shall we move out or proceed with the plan," the intercom voiced.

"Looks like we don't have much time, but I believe this is all the time I needed to get you to kill your inner cat. Let's see if your bite is still better than your bark. See me you know where and when!" Kevin smiled as he handed Zack the speaker and ported out with the C-5. Zack and Ivy where stunned but fallowed fast.

"What waz zhat about?" asked Sarah, signaling the men to continue with the plan.

"It's a dare. Like none I have had in a long time."

"It might be a trap, Carmen." Hugo warned, he had made up his mind to go with her even if she demanded him not to.

"It is not. I know him, he is more afraid of me than anyone else in this world. Sarah your coming with me to that meeting. Hugo get the boys, stake the area I'll tell you and wait for my answers."

Sarah and Hugo accentuated with their heads as the statue of Lincoln rose to the night sky.

Scene 4

"It was incredible Chief, I had never seen Carmen stunned for so long like that." Ivy was relating the story to Chief as they waited in that alleyway.

"Nice, but what is this place, where have you leaded her to Kevin?" Chief looked around.

"Ah, it's a little secret place with an amazing view." Kevin said as he pushed the roll up door and they stepped into to the space. At the end of that alleyway there was this roll up door and behind that the alleyway continued above the city. Nothing else there but a small bar and lights leading the way on the other side of the city, very romantic if you walked a bit after the bar. There was a small bus stand there that hadn't seen any vehicles in a long while but it still provided an amazing seat for the view.

"This place is beautiful Kevin, how did you found out?" Ivy asked, as she noticed Kevin had a key to opening the rusty lock on it.

"We found it by accident. We had been stalking this jewel thief for weeks and we ended up in that bar over there." Kevin signaled the bar door and when he did someone came out.

"Hey old timer, you still haven't come this week for your weekly dose." Martin the manager saluted Kevin and he saluted back, Martin laughed and went inside.

"Anyways, our plan was to pretend I was buying some jewels for her and we were high class and all that, when we sort of got a bit drunk. The plan went a bit haywire and we ended up chasing him to this alley but finally catching him here on this bus stop."

"We?" Zack asked.

"Carmen and me."

"Wow I didn't see that one coming." Zack was as stunned as Ivy.

"Oh yes, after Carmen had trained with Sahura she became an independent detective. All independent detectives always get to travel with a partner, just like you and Zack. Kevin here was Carmen's partner in her last years at the agency. They solved many crimes together, but they were the most troublesome pair I believe in all ACME's history."

"Hey you can blame Carmen for that."

"Nonesense, you were as bad an influence on her as she was on you, so don't' pretend I don't' remember that plane ticket incident."

"Hahaha, yeah that. I was a genius with that."

Sometime passed as everyone quietly admired the view. It seemed that the memories where a bit hard on Kevin, as Ivy noted and nudged Zack to understand not to ask about it.

"She was an amazing partner Chief. I should have protected her more. I should.."

"She decided on her own Kevin. She betrayed us all, don't take the weight of her crimes on your shoulders."

"No Chief, I knew… I knew." Kevin said this looking at Chief. "Ever since we managed to catch that art thief Roy everthing changed. In the interrogation room he asked her 'How long until you realize that my side of the lines is the one that creates the puzzles little girl?' I smacked him and they took him away only to be released a few days later cause of paper work thing. She became more thoughtful and introverted. I should have warned you."

"You couldn't have known it. Kevin I know you two were close but please don't let the past come out tonight and calm yourself."

"I asked her to marry me, Chief," Kevin said this with tears on his eyes as he leaned on the wall of the buss station. The detectives and Chief couldn't' believe their ears. "She said 'Yes'. We even escaped that winter and went to Thailand to get married. We both got rings." Kevin showed Chief his left hand with the wedding band on it. "I convinced her, she left you and the agency just for me. She trusted me with her life, with her heart, she trusted me completely. All she needed was for me to trust her back, and I didn't." Kevin suppressed a sob. "That night just before we were getting married she told me about a plan she had been working on. We were both tired of being detectives, it didn't challenged us anymore. She came up with a plan to steal 8 billion dollars from the bank in Tokyo that sounded flawless and amazing. I hushed her down, and didn't respond for hours. Before we went to sleep after all the discussion she said to me 'Would you stay?' and I didn't answered I went to the balcony and she went to sleep. I stepped early morning out of the hotel and wondered the city thinking to myself. She went to the ends of the earth for me, why can't I go to the ends of the world with her. I went back to the hotel, but she was gone. I had betrayed her and with that the whole agency had betrayed her. If I had stayed I could have convinced her to forget the crazy shit plan, either that or I would have gone with her, I loved her."

After all of that, everyone was quiet, all where deep in though about all this. Many minutes passed, more closely to one hour and still no sign of Carmen. Kevin wasn't worried; there was still some time before the appointed time.

'I don't' think she is coming sis,' Zack whispered Ivy.

"Ok, I'll bite." The voice came from down the alleyway. The detectives were startled a little and Chief almost screamed, but Kevin kept leaned on the wall and just smiled. There at the end of the alleyway stood the figure of a woman with long hair, dressed in just a plain dark coat.

'Zack, it's Carmen, she came.' Ivy was surprised.

Carmen started to walk towards them and Kevin left his wall and walked towards her. Behind her none other than Sarah Bellum, Hugo was stalking her from the shadows as he was used to do in this kind of meetings his boss lady had, as other times he was right beside her. The detectives fallowed Kevin with Chief by their side. Chief seemed happy with glee and little stars in his screen, the detectives where a little excited to meet Carmen out of a work situation. Sarah was checking the alleyway out, examining it and mapping it as she was used to do for her boss.

When Carmen and Kevin met they surprised everyone with something you rarely see in situations like this. They met with a passionate kiss. Both trying to see which ate the most out of their partners lips.

'Now I didn't see that coming,' Zack snickered. Ivy was chocked and Chief started to feel gloomy. Sarah was a bit surprised but she was used to seeing her Carmen in sexual situations like this at work. Hugo clenched his teeth; he really didn't like this guy now.

They kept kissing while Kevin's hands explored every part of Carmen's body. Carmen let him excite her as she was contempt by just keeping her hands on his back and pull at his hair every once in awhile. Minutes passed while the couple satisfied their urges standing there with the entire city as view.

At last Carmen pulled back, not without putting her left hand on his lips to stop him from coming back. He felt the cold metal feeling of her wedding ring and the sun rose inside of him.

"You're wearing your wedding ring." Kevin said looking at her eyes.

"I always do." Carmen said smiling at him placing his hand on his chest.

"Eeeexxcuse me!"

"woah!" Carmen and Kevin where startled when Chief came between them and they both jumped back.

"Damn it Chief, I though you were over interrupting us." Carmen protested.

"Well, old habits die slow. Besides what can you do in an empty alleyway with just a bus stop anyways?"

"You have no idea," Carmen said this while smiling, and then she suddenly realized who where with her in that alley. "Did I said that out loud?

Sarah suppressed a laugh cause she knew exactly what Carmen was referring to, all part of the job.

Carmen looked past Chief at Zack and Ivy, she crossed her arms and yelled at them: "You guys have a lot of explaining to do. Not chasing me, letting me go without the slightest recognition. Am I suddenly to boring or old for you guys?"

"Hey, we are all down to catch you, but this time it is not us that have the problem." Zack said signaling to Chief.

"Chief here has something that he has been annoyingly wanting to ask you," Ivy also signaled to Chief. "Apparently WE aren't good enough to even know about it. He has had us just go to your heists to just try and lure you to talk to us. And suddenly Kevin here comes and you listen. Then again I can see why now."

"Really Chief? How come you didn't come yourself? I would have answered or agreed to met you at the rooftop of the old police station."

"I couldn't come. It is not that easy what I'm about to ask you. It is very ultra secret." Chief said as he begged everyone to come close.

"Chief your scaring me and that is not an easy thing to do anymore." Carmen teased him.

"Look what ever I say in here tonight stays here and NEVER leaves this place. Understand"

Everyone agreed even Sarah that had stepped besides Carmen by then.

Chief sighted, turned around a couple of times. He looked at the city while everyone waited. Everyone was looking at each other shrugging and scratching their heads.

Chief finally turned around and faced her.

"Carmen, will you steal something for me?"

End of Chapter 2

Oh, yes I went there. I had been toying with this idea for a long time and it was really creeping me out. Hope you guys liked this preview. Leave your opinions, comments and reviews, what should I take out? You guys like were the characters are going? Etc.


	3. Chapter 3

Let's see how this all turns out. Strange feelings, unknown situations, what more can you want from a good read.

THE LOOK IN HER EYES chap 3

Scene 1

"I need you to steal something for me." Chief repeated as silence fell onto the group.

Everyone was baffled by this request. The incident was so bizarre that they stopped all brain activity. Everyone had their mouths open, even Hugo, which was the only one listening to Carmen's transmission, was in shock.

"Waitz, what?" Sara was the first to break the silence.

"Chief, did you just asked a criminal for help?" Ivy couldn't believe this.

"Not just any criminal, I'm personally asking Carmen."

"That doesn't change the fact that you are asking a criminal to do a criminal activity." Zack was actually mad at this.

"I honestly never thought this could happen, what is going on here?" Kevin stepped back a bit with his hands on his neck.

Carmen still had her mouth open, unable to comprehend what had been asked. She just looked at Chief with uneasy eyes.

"The agency can't ask for this." Ivy started to argue.

"Chief, if this was your plan all along I wouldn't have helped you." Zack confessed.

"We have known each other for long old boss, but this is wrong." Kevin exhaled.

The detectives and Chief argued softly on their side of the alley. Chief tried to explain them but they repeatedly shunned him. They all felt a bit betrayed by what their lovable Chief just said.

"Whatz now, Carmen?" Sara whispered to Carmen. "It is not like we ever prepared for zhis."

"Um… eh… Chief," Carmen slowly came out of her state. Everyone stared at her, and it made her feel uneasy. "Could we talk, like over there… privately?"

"Sure."

Carmen passed the detectives and Chief joined her as they walked side by side to get away from the group. They acted as everything was normal, Carmen with her hands on her coat pockets and Chief floating along at head high. They even started conversing a little while they got away.

"Blue is really your color, why you choose red?"

"Ah well, it was Roy's gift that coat of mine." Carmen said taking off her ear piece giving a small signal with her pinky. Ivy caught that and wondered whom she was signaling to.

"Really? Has it been that long?"

"Yeah, he once came by and gave it to me said it'll make me seem more powerful."

"He was right." Chief said with sadness. Carmen noticed and just looked down. "So, how have you been?"

"Good, good. This and that going on, life becoming more complex and such." Carmen smiled a little; she really needed to talk with an old friend like this.

Once they were as far as they could get from the group, but still within reach they stopped and looked at each other.

"Want the cone of silence?" Chief asked, knowing Carmen was about to explode.

"Yeah, I don't think you want your kids to learn all the words I know."

The cone of silence was activated, but just before it reached the floor Carmen started yelling.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT, CHIEF!..." the rest was only heard inside the cone by one scarred looking Chief.

"Woah, that won't end well." Kevin smirked.

"And it shouldn't." Zack was feeling a bit sorry for Chief.

"I still can't believe this," Ivy said, looking madly at the cone of silence where one pissed off Carmen was yelling at Chief. Carmen even unbuttoned her coat and started throwing her hands in the air.

"Look Carmen it's not what you think…."

"It is never what I think, but it sure as hell is what it means."

"Don't take that tone of voice with me, you are an adult now…"

"Fuck you, don't you dare stand up to me at this point in my life, when you're the one that came up to me with this shit. "

"Please, let me explain, you haven't the slightest clue as to why I'm asking this favor..."

"Favor, my ass. That wasn't a favor that was a request that was a job proposal. Don't tell me otherwise."

"Ok, ok. But I really need your help.'

"You can't come at me after all this years… no you can't…." Carmen eyes were watering. "I left ACME because there was no excitement in there; there was no more passion or love. You can't come to me after all that has happen, all that I have been through and tell me that there was something in there for me."

"I care shit about the reasons you left," Chief mustered courage and faced her. "I can hardly even care for your well being, I learned how to put the past behind me and it's because of that that I'm here tonight asking you this. Will you hear me out?"

"This is bullshit," Carmen faced away from him and remained silent.

"There has come to my attention that a matter of state security has leaked into the undergrounds, your world, and if in the wrong hands it could endanger millions of people. I'm going to give you as much detail as possible since you still haven't agreed to do the job, if you'd like to hear it now?"

"Chief, we used to know each other well, but life has happened to both of us. Tell me would the Carmen you knew let you tell her?"

"Yes, would you trust in the Chief that you knew?"

"Yes, I do." Carmen eased her shoulders and her arms became unfolded. "It's been so long since you briefed me on a case. Feels melancholic in a certain way. I've changed a lot Chief, I have become someone you can't imagine."

"You know me, I can look beyond human limitations and see deep inside your still the little Carmen I knew." Chief smiled.

"Don't charm me with your crappy smile," She laughed a bit. "It will not change the fact that you as a commander in office of ACME is asking a world renown criminal a favor. More so at the extent of understanding the risks involved, we may become real enemies when this all ends."

"I know that, but this item I need you to steal, is worth the risk of loosing our relationship for ever." Chief looked strongly at her.

"If you weren't a screen I'd say you had big balls old friend."

"Haha, you should see my hard drive banks."

The tension in the air eased a bit and Chief calmly started to explain things.

"This much I can tell you. There was an object stolen from a "certain" facility that contained "certain" information. This object was taken out of the facility by professionals in your area, The Tosca Brothers."

"Uff, bunch of real nasty shit guys."

"So you know them?"

"I've dealt with them as both clients and partners for "certain" jobs. All part of the new me."

"I'm starting not to like this at all. In any case, the TBs stole this object and introduced it in the black market masked with another object. However, due to certain strange circumstances this masking object proved valuable enough to be placed in a "certain" place where we can't access without arising suspicions to the content of the original object."

"So basically, you want me to steal this valuable object from that place and just give it to you?"

"Yes."

Carmen started to feel a bit ridiculous; she had worked her anger to much for just a simple job. Something didn't' felt right.

"Where is the catch?"

"You are not the only one that wants this object. There are some that have even killed for the chance of getting it, have you heard anything from your side?"

"Truthfully, this kinds of understreet fights are not that relevant to my standards, but I do hear from them a lot. Recently there has been some territorial fights for an object in London that supposedly has a street value of 5 bills. Sadly, there is no one I know that is really willing to pay that much for that object, it has been deemed unsellable."

"London… that is where my object is."

"Then it is a death trap. I was curious for this object but my research didn't favor my odds Chief. If this is the object you want me to steal, I'm sorry I'll have to decline. Not because I'm scarred of the understreet fights, but because it will not fulfill my standard, let alone my creed."

"I thought you might say no from the get go, so I planned a reunion with ACME's big shots to try and persuade you to do it."

"ACME trying to make a deal with me… unheard of."

"If your interested in helping me out, would you come to ACME Headquarters and discuss the circumstances with the higher-ups?"

"No."

"So definitive."

"It is a crazy stupid idea that I'm going to just walk into the headquarters and not me captured. I'm a very important person in the underworld and this business is just not going to happen like this."

"Please, it already is arranged for your free pass in HQ." Chief produced an entry card and Carmen took it. "I have been hours discussing this with the higher-ups and they all agree with me that we need you. You are safe to enter and leave HQ while the negotiations are going on. If you come all the information and specifications will be provided and it is then that I'd like you to decide. If you decide against, you are free to leave and we wont' give chase. Do you agree?"

Carmen was at a loss, she was not used to not being in control of the situation and it looked like she was being played. She pondered the consequences and ideas formulating in her head as she walked around in the cone.

"Looks like he is convincing her about this crazy thing." Zack said.

"Carmen likes things like this, thrills and crazy stupid things." Kevin sighted.

"This can't be happening." Ivy fumed.

'Hey, Sarah, what is going on?' Hugo whispered on Sarah's intercom device.

'Lookz, like we haz zome ztrange work.'

At the sound of Sarah's voice the detectives turned around and looked at her. She stiffened and just looked away.

"I won't be alone and I will enter the building without taking anything off." Carmen said in a serious tone.

"Sure, I don't understand what that means, but I'll see to it you do."

"Deal, I'll see you in 3 days at HQ."

"Wait, 3 days, why can't we go now on the C-5?"

"Like I said, I won't be alone and I will enter the building without taking anything off." Carmen smirked, this is the kind of control she liked to have.

"Ok, 3 days… is today day 1 or?"

"hehe, you always made me laugh Chief." She placed her hand on the holographic image of Chief and he blushed.

The cone of silence came of and they started to walk to the group with smiles on their faces.

"I didn't knew you and Kevin were engaged."

"It was a long story and I feel I still am."

"You really love him don't you?"

"You have no idea how madly in love I was with him; he is the only man I still think of late at night."

They approached the group in silence and Carmen stepped in between the detective giving a small look at Kevin, which he returned. Carmen walked back to Sarah and placed the ear transmitter and said something that Ivy couldn't catch. As soon as she said that, Ivy noted two figures on the bar's roof and one of them had a long sniper rifle, the other was a huge hunk of man. That hunk of man came to be Hugo as he rappelled the side of the bar and came close to his boss. She explained the situation to them in short code words and they both understood. She looked back at the detectives and strolled away with her group.

"What was that about?" Zack said scared. "Did she had us snipped all this time?"

"That was scary indeed." Kevin was also in shock.

"She will come in 3 days to HQ do discuss the matter. Better if you guys rest till then, there is much to be talked and this time you guys will be involved."

"Hum… can I come too?" Kevin said expectantly.

"You are already mixed up in this. You will have a Class 5 license, all of you in fact."

"Woah, a Class 5, that is like 'Top secret, die and never tell' kind of license."

"Yes, this is something that is bigger than what ACME is capable of undertaking."

"Was involving Carmen the right choice?" Ivy asked.

"You will see why." Chief said opening the C-5 and taking the detectives with them.

At the other side of the alley, Carmen and her henchmen walked in darkness only to disappear into the night.

The end of chapter 3

I might rewrite this chapter a bit, don't' know… didn't liked the feeling of it, but I'm putting it up so you guys know where it is headed and such.


	4. Chapter 4

Moving on with the story…. Oh god, I always promise to make it small and concise but I just can't. This is becoming a very long story. Since the real bad assery is a few chaps away please continue enjoying the mild storyline, but I assure you Carmen knows things… strange things….

THE LOOK IN HER EYES

Scene 1

It was a quiet night when the light blue M3 bimmer approached ACME HQ gates. In it were the figures of two beautiful women. That is what the guard at the gates thought as the bimmer approached the keypad. He came to the door with a slug smile on his face to great the women and as he peered inside the door his face filled with horror.

Carmen Sandiego swiped the entry card on the keypad smiling sexily to the guard while Sarah finished smoking and threw the leftovers to him. The light turned purple on the gate sign and the guard stopped his actions. He was trained to call for back up if something like this happened, but the purple light indicated this was a 'I never saw and forget situation'. The gate opened and Carmen raced inside.

"That was fascinating," Carmen gloated. "and he is hot to boot."

"Everyzhing looks hot with that shit we smoked." Sarah laughed a bit in her intoxicated state.

"That is why I stopped smoking a little while ago."

"What? You look higher zhan me." Sarah signaled to Carmen's eyes.

"Fuck! That is some good shit right there. Make me glad I got the deal to distribute it in New York. I'll make a killing with the revenues."

"More literally than symbolically I hope."

They both looked at each other and laughed manically as the bimmer raced to the entrance.

Scene 2

The receptionist was having a great birthday so far. Everyone in the office had given her small cat figurines as gifts to decorate her desk. Her only partner was the floor guard that always made her laugh. He was an old man and an old service guard in ACME. All the years of training of both wouldn't have prepared for what was about to come their way.

The main door opened and two women entered the lobby. Both dressed with coats, one was a lighter shade of blue than the other. What really got the guard on its toes is that they were both walking in unison, so that only one set of steps where heard. As both of them looked up to greet the women, the guard put his hand on his gun and went for the girl trying to cover her. He had recognized her from the years before; she was one of the best detectives to ever walk through those halls. How he had admired that young woman.

Carmen Sandiego recognized the guard and she knew he was old but not stupid. He was head guard even when she was in the force. She quickly pulled the entry card on the wall keypad and the lights turned purple. The guard stilled and put the gun in the holster, whiles the secretary stood up in awe. The great Carmen Sandiego was again permitted to pass through ACME's halls.

"It has been long Young Lady." The guard greeted Carmen. This was how he greeted her back in the day.

"It sure has, Olds." This was her name for him. "You look strong and handsome as always."

"All part of the job." He went to the check point portal and waited beside it. "Looks like you have been summoned in secrecy. I must admit I'd rather see you never step into my house again, so please finish your dealings here and never come back. Step through."

"My same feelings only in reverse." Carmen stepped through the metal detector and it went off like a Christmas tree.

"Wow, now I have never seen every single light come on. You have some explaining to do Young Lady."

"More than you think." Carmen smiled.

"Not really." A strong male voice was herd down the hallway. "Its alright Richard. She is permitted to enter and leave as is." It was none other than Ronaldo, ACME's vice president.

"Zhe vice president came to pick you up, Carmen. Your must have been very important here." Sarah whispered Carmen as she passed through the metal detector; it also went wild beyond imagine.

"You have no idea."

"Fallow me you two. We will go to the VIP room on the 7th downward floor. Its key coded for our safety. Be well advised and warned, no funny business. You stay within my viewing site; you neither touch nor say anything. You will be escorted by me at all times while in this facility. You were never one with rules Carmen, and seeing how you turned out I wouldn't expect less, but your ACME days are over, this is business. Understand?"

"Clear." Carmen said while fallowing him. She caught Sarah's eyes and waited to give her a signal. Sarah was used to plan changing all the time, so she just waited.

"You are here on the premises of a top secret negotiation." Ronaldo kept talking as he walked down the hallway to the elevators. "You shall not disrupt anything else, nor be visible to the rest of ACME while in the building. When you enter this elevator, everything that happens beyond it will be strictly secret. Understood?" He faced the elevator. "Understood?" When he turned around Carmen and Sarah where gone. "How the hell? Guards!"

Scene 3

Kevin was working quietly in his office that day. He had been feeling happier and full of live than all the years he had been there. Even his coworkers wondered what happy event had happened. He didn't wanted to admit it but seeing her up close and personal, touching her, kissing her after all this years had brought him back to his game.

"Hello Stranger." Kevin was startled by this strange voice in his office. He looked back at the door with expectant eyes and there she was. Carmen Sandiego was resting on his door looking lovingly at him with a smile on her face. Kevin got up from his chair and went to her. His hands caressed her face and he pulled her to him for an intense kiss.

"Now that I haven't seen in years." A female voice came from the floor office.

"Hello back." Kevin responded after their kiss. "You in time for this fail attempt at justice."

"Yeah, but I'm already in trouble."

"Why is that?" Kevin kept exploring her body with his eyes and hands.

"Ronaldo was excorting me but I ditched him halfway to the VIP room." She smirked.

"And you come to me to get me in trouble, is that it?"

"Would you like me more if I didn't brought you trouble?"

"Nah, your all the trouble I need."

"Hey, Melanie, good to see you." Carmen saluted Melanie on the floor office. Melanie had been a coworker during Carmen's days and knew her well. "You'll need to escort me there; I bet Ronaldo woke up the entire building searching for me.'

"It will be my pleasure to escort two beautiful ladies in my arms to the VIP room, makes me feel like a pimp again." Kevin laughed while extending his arms, one to Carmen and the other to Sarah.

Scene 4

ACME's HQ were filled with whispers and purple light. Every corner Carmen took, she saluted someone she knew from her former life. Strangely enough she saluted with a smile on her face, and even more strange the reply was always a warm smile and even a pat on the shoulder.

"Wow, you were really somezhing as a detective." Sarah noted.

"It is a strange but good feeling to know I was indeed loved here." Carmen said in a sad tone. Kevin noticed it and squeezed her arm a little more tigher.

"You don't know what you have till you lose it." Kevin said in a low voice. "You lost a lot here." They kept walking and Carmen suppressed a laugh. "What?"

"Not really." She said with a smirk.

"How so?"

"Everyone I formerly knew has a desk job by now, even you. Trust me, I'm not a desk woman." She laughed. "Although I know several positions for some desk action." She winked.

"Then maybe you should come and help me with some paper work later on." There was really no point in arguing with her. She was right, everyone had a desk job by now, not one agent from their days was in the active community. This was really not a place for her, and he felt it started to feel empty for him too. His arm felt so good holding hers, he wondered if he would let go of it and return to his desk once this all finished.

Kevin brought them to the elevators and once inside he produced a card that he swiped on the keypad and then placed a code. The elevator moved faster than they expected making them tumble a bit. It stopped in an unmarked floor between floors 7 and 8 that had no light on the elevator board.

The doors opened and they were greeted by more purple light. The room was sealed on all sides with just a double door on the far side. It had cameras that spanned the entire room, couple them with floor pressure sensors and thermal imaging and you get one interesting room. Or at least that is what Sarah though memorizing the room as she was used to for her boss.

Carmen used her entry card to unlock the last door. As the door opened they quickly heard a commotion.

"There you are you bitch!" Ronaldo's voice boomed from the center of the room.

"Hey, I won't tolerate that kind of language here." Chief said. The room was tall and wide with few amenities in it. Was equipped with bathroom, kitchenette and a room with bunk beds, the other items were a big conference table for 20 and one wall filled with computers, monitors, radios and Chief's holographic monitor.

"It's ok Chief, I left his boring company to find a man more suitable to my tastes." Carmen assured as she walked beside Kevin and Sarah into the room. The doors closed behind them, the only people present at the moment where Ronaldo, Chief, Zack, Ivy, Kevin, Sarah and Carmen.

As soon as Carmen came close to the conference table the back door opened and in entered Sebastian Gates, the President of ACME, George Mass, Weapons Specialist, Gina Silverado, INTEL, General Will Adorno, Chief-Personnel, Mario Santori, Executive Lawyer, Santos Xuan, Communications, Lana Torres, Chief-Coordinator, Edward Camps, Excecutive-of-Missions and Nathan Crow, International Affairs. All in all the big guns.

'Fuck me,' Carmen though. 'This looks like some big issue, I don't know if I like the looks of this. What are these higher ups doing here? They all knew I was coming and they came in person to talk to me. What have you gotten yourself into old girl?'

"Welcome back, Carmen." Sebastian openly greeted her shacking her hand. "Guess you never thought I'd had the balls to be the big boss, eh?"

"I'd had never imagine that, look at you all grown up." Carmen hugged him, she didn't' believe the runt of the class was now the big shot here.

Carmen greeted everyone as they all knew her from detective days. Zack and Ivy were in awe as to the influence Carmen still had on the inside.

"Wow sis, it really looks like Carmen did more damage inside that we thought."

"Everyone knows her and remembers her so well. It is sad she is now outside of their help."

"Please, everyone, time is money and there is much to discuss. Seat down so we can start the reunion." Sebastian took the head seat and Chief stayed on his big monitor facing him. Everyone else took their seats accordingly. The big shots sat opposite Carmen in order to face here, and the others sat next to Carmen, Sarah and Kevin on either side of her.

When they all sat down and the executives placed papers upon the desk Sebastian stood up to address them.

"Thank you all for taking the time from your busy schedules to assist to this reunion that shall be code named: Project Purple. I'd like to skip protocol and don't introduce ourselves as we all are familiar with one another, except for the new detectives and Carmen's companion here present. Yes, Mass?"

"I'd like to propose the disclosure of weapons and make this a free round table." Mass advised looking directly at Carmen's eyes.

"That is an unknown request in this table Mass, why the petition?"

"I trained her in weapons, and the first thing I tough her was to enter and leave a building without taking anything off." Chief remembered this request by Carmen and he started to get curious about this. "I also tough her to know as best as she could about what she was up against when entering anyplace. I'd like to know what I'm against while sitting exactly in front of her."

"Very well, I'll accept that. All weaponry, concealed or exposed, shall be presented onto the table, and this table shall be proclaimed a free table." Sebastian said this as he placed his Magnum .380 on the table. He also unrolled his sock and produced a Glock 23. Every other executive produced their handguns and even infantry knives like General had. Zack and Ivy where the only ones that didn't produced anything as they weren't trained to posses' weaponry and all the ones on the table mad them feel uneasy.

However Carmen and Sarah hadn't produced any weaponry, but Mass was looking directly at her eyes. Ivy knew about Carmen's dislike of fire arms and part of her knew that Carmen was clean. Seeing no one else produced weaponry Sebastian once again stood up. Mass slammed down the table and kept looking at Carmen, he knew things about her, about her job that no one else in the room knew.

Carmen signaled to Sarah, and she got up producing one Beretta XX-Treme and two Beretta 9mm guns, one long knife from her socks and one small Glock G26. Carmen produced two Safari Matchmaster .45 guns and one Matchmaster STI plus two long knifes and placed them conveniently in front of her.

"Wow!" Chief couldn't believe his eyes. It was true, by the end of this mission Carmen and himself would be enemies. Where had the sweet Carmen he knew gone? Zack was looking at Carmen's arsenal and wondered where she kept all of that. Ivy was also in shock and wondered if Carmen carried those weapons with her on her heists. Kevin was a little turned on by the fact Carmen was a Matchmaster fan, so old school; he was the one that introduced her to the Matchmaster family.

Carmen kept looking at Mass with a smirk on her face, Mass was actually impressed by both Sarah's and Carmen's arsenal. Sebastian felt a bit intimidated that the woman he once considered his big sister had to carry a small war close to her chest. But with some shocking difficulty he finally stood up.

"This meeting is now in session." Both doors locked, the lights dimmed a little and several holographic monitors sprang from the conference table.

The end of Chapter 4

Uff, writing this chapter felt like giving birth to words. So many words, so much description and no plot advance. I know, I know I'm slacking. I must admit I had this last scene on my mind and I really wanted to put it in someplace. Was this Chapter boring? Should I just rewrite chapters 3 and 4 and shorten them? Leave feedback!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the long wait but I had to finish my Structural Steel Design project and it wasn't as easy as I though. However, let's continue the story shall we? Oh boy, aren't you excited to know how it all turns out in the meeting… no more stalling, go read.

The Look in Her Eyes

Scene 1

"I will not fallow protocol, partly cause we all know each other and because we have never had such a request presented." Sebastian said with a composed demeanor. "I'll go straight to the point. A company by the name of Nyr was under strict federal contract to design, create and produce a drug that was capable of stabilizing the heart rate. The drug once consumed produced a neutral effect and prevented the heart from beating any faster or slower than the human average. It would be used on snipers that currently take drugs to reduce their heart rate and let them perform better as with this new drug they can time it perfectly between beats."

Sebastian passed along the research summery to everyone so they get familiarized with this information.

"However, they ended up producing an air born virus that would not only stabilize the heart rate, but would also diminish it through time. Tested in laboratories lab rats only lasted a week after infected. As a precaution an antidote was produced."

"This is disturbing." said Xuan. "How exactly did they plan on dealing with the legalities of submitting soldiers to this?"

"That is not our case Santos. The information I'm giving here is background knowledge needed to understand the severity of the issue."

Sebastian inserted a USB drive under the desk. A series of images started to appear on the main holographic screen in the middle of the desk. The images of soldiers being tested with the drug, heart rate meters reproducing the results and some testimonies of the drugs feeling. The final image was that of a micro chip where all the data for its creation had been stored as one of the many copies to be distributed across federal agencies.

"This micro chip is our case." Santos signaled to it and paused the video. "The chemical components, its composition and DNA specific attributes are all encoded in that micro chip you see. This chip was stolen from Nyr about 3 months ago, since then it has been running through various hands in the Underworld, your world Carmen." He looked at her but she ignored him, she kept looking at the chip uninterestedly.

"The chip was stolen by the Tosca Brothers during a transportation plan for the chip to one of the facilities. Intel say they were hired by Dustin who paid them a 5 zero figure for this, however since they lost it in the Underworld Dustin ended up killing them." The screen showed a gruesome bloody scene where two dismembered bodies lied under a tree. One of them had their head cut off and the other was burned. Both Zack and Ivy grimaced at the picture; everyone else just took a deep breath. Carmen and Sarah didn't mind to see it, Kevin noted.

"They deserved it." Carmen said in a low voice looking very intently at the picture. Lana and Gina both contained their breaths; the men just stared at her. She continued looking at the picture, Sarah sensed she was getting a bit mad and decided not to say anything. Zack and Ivy had blank stares on their faces, what they heard left them cold.

"The micro chip was embedded in the Holy Mask of Xulo, which was in turned stolen in the China World exhibition by Faxio. The Mask was recovered just before the exhibition ended, intel specifies that the micro chip was introduced in the mask at this time. I'm sure you know him Carmen."

"How can I forget someone that tries to finger me every time I see him." Again Carmen said this in a low voice. However, this time Sarah suppressed a laugh, everyone else was in shock.

"Um… Well, he was also hired by Dustin for the job and has gone missing since then, so anything connected to this case ends up in Dustin. He is the master mind that wanted to sell this information in the Elite Underworld, Have you heard of this Elite thing Carmen? There are rumors only 17 people are in this group."

"I'm one of them yes." Carmen smiled at the sense of pride and importance of this group. She had killed, sold, traded and done just about everything to get the necessary respect to enter this Elite group.

"Oh wow. Have you any intel from the inside of this group?" Edward asked.

"The information discussed inside the Elite circle is off limits and classified." She answered sternly. "However, from what I can tell, yes there was some information that some of the Elites were willing to pay up to 8 zero sums for it. I wasn't interested when offered the investment though, my ambitions where elsewhere at the time."

The group eased their tension. At least they could trust Carmen in not wanting to take the information for herself. More importantly, they could trust her with delivering what promised.

"The Mask of Xul was used as camouflage to pass it through airport inspection into England." The image of an ugly wood mask came into the holographic monitor. "The intention of Dustin was to get an open house auction within the Elite Group and other powerful leaders about the contents of this chip. However after the Mask passed into England the security around it tripled and Dustin wasn't able to get it."

The holographic monitor displayed the mask in a bulletproof case surrounded by heat, humidity, visual and audio sensors. The security for a single Mask impressed Carmen, which in turn started thinking that it was a bit exaggerated. She smelled something wasn't right, the simple fact that the Mask had been stolen once is enough to up the security a notch but never by this much.

"That is odd," Carmen couldn't contain her thoughts any more.

"What is odd?" asked Sebastian when he saw the intent look of Carmen.

"I understand the implications that when an object is stolen the security around it becomes tighter. Not because of fear it might be stolen, but because cops want to catch anyone that tries it again. In time the security will stale down to where it was before as it doesn't make sense to waste more resources for something that might be inevitable in the long run." She took the pictures of part of the security of the mask. "This hasn't gone down. This security is becoming tighter and tighter. This only means two things, one there have been more theft attempts to this Mask."

"Not that we know off. We only know that it might be stolen on the next transportation of the exhibit in 2 months." Nathan assured.

"Then someone on the inside knows what is on the Mask." Carmen smirked, she loved mysteries like this, one of the things that attracted her to being a detective and she was proving to still be at her best game. "The security here is for the micro chip, not the mask. Look at the back of this picture where the mask is secured to the case."

"That is a pressure sensor, nothing out of the ordinary about it" said Mass with intrigue.

"On the opening lid?" Carmen looked at him. "Xul masks are made to be worn over your entire skull. This mask opens up. Why would you put a pressure sensor on the opening of the mask and not on the mask itself?"

"Someone wants to protect what is inside." Ivy said.

The group of detectives and ACME personnel where in awe, they had missed something this important from the surveillance and intel information. Only a master thief could have easily noted something this insignificant, after all it was her job.

"Dustin hasn't been able to make a move because someone from the inside has his balls in its hands. He is tied and can't really move, not that that will stop him. I wouldn't be stopped, but it certainly puts the plan to a crawl. If he makes a move it is going to be big. Trust me on this. He will take this by force and not of the light manner." Carmen assured looking at Mass, she respected him more than anyone else in that table. "Preparing a counter strike is near the suicide line. As soon as this Mask gets in the wind the hunt will start. This is a high stakes theft, where you need to risk more than what the other party has to risk. And it is never as good in the end as it sounds." Carmen put the picture on the table and leaned back. She might be the biggest thief in the world, but sometimes she wished she was a simple car thief.

The ACME higher ups started discussing this new evidence amongst themselves. Only the detectives, Carmen and Sarah were left alone on the other side of the table. Ivy noted Carmen was a bit worried, and without doubt she was. She had so many questions but had to wait for another time to ask them.

"If zhere it someone inside, zhere must be some buyer on zhe outside." Sarah said quietly to Carmen. "Zhere can be zhree or more militants for zhis chip."

"I know. Still it can't be taken lightly, the information in this chip is very dangerous. Knowing this how can you turn your back?" Carmen sighted. "Then again there are many ways to steal this object without creating the hunt."

"Like what?" Kevin asked in a low voice.

Carmen had forgotten Sarah and herself weren't alone there. Both Zack and Ivy were listening intently to their conversation as well as Kevin. She leaned a bit forward and asked them to inch in.

"For one, you can let it be stolen by Dustin during the transportation. A moving good is easier to acquire than a stopped one. Plus it would be the opportunity to take out Dustin without keeping the hunt on. Another way is to flush it out before the transportation by either becoming a potential client or by bribing the inside. Will not eliminate the hunt, but will make it smaller in scale and more manageable. No one likes to get mocked by getting their good swooped from under their noses. Thirdly you can just open up the Pandora box, by simply distributing the information free in the Underworld. The knowledge of if will make it filthy and wanted. The hunt would be so imaginably large it will crumble and destroy the person that possesses it."

The detective leaned back and processed all this information. Carmen had just given them a lesson in Underworld criminology and it was too much to handle. Carmen was becoming more anxious as the higher ups still discussed the new intel.

"What reassurance do we have it is still there in any case?" she asked loudly.

"What do you mean?" Will looked confused. "Didn't you just point out about the pressure sensor on the lid of the mask?"

"There might be a pressure sensor but there is no telling what is inside of it. It might be a hoax, a distraction. A trained thief would immediately recognice that sensor there and imagines there is something of value inside. Anyone sent to steal it might get a nice surprise there while the real thing is hiding elsewhere, even have already been sold."

"The chip is still there, that is for certain." Mario said. "Since the security around the Mask was tightened we have proof the object is still in there."

"If the security is so tight, why not simply ask for the Mask and get the chip out of it?" Carmen asked surprised.

"Access to the Mask and all information about it has been classified as un-shareable by the Government of England and its Security Administration. Hence your idea someone from the inside knows has given us more worries." Ronaldo said.

"Interesting, so this is all strictly behind everyones backs." Carmen smiled noting the desperation on the higher ups.

"Would you help us?" At last Chief spoke only looking at her. At that moment everyone was quiet and just waited for her answer. Carmen wasn't liking this at all, in fact she really didn't wanted to do this. Too much was involved and not much can come out of it. She reached for the picture of the Mask again and looked at it. She turned to Sarah and they started to talk in whisper and probably in code.

'Even preparing for this assignment is going to be difficult. Not only we risk to be exposed we risk implications with the Elite group and that means war. What possibilities do you calculate?' Carmen asked.

'New floor plans, zecurity management routes, equipment, all the electronics,' Sarah calculated in her mind. 'Zhere might be a 30% chance of success, but zhe aftermath will hit uz no matter what we try.'

'What about a smoke bomb strike? Just go once, gather all and strike fast. Pull an all nighter, move fast and disappear leaving everything behind.'

'Zhat might work.'

'Use as little personnel as possible probably 7 and make a massive resource count per person. The hunt will be concentrated and we can survive it.'

It was a bit eerie watching both Carmen and Sarah discussion a theft master plan in that table. The detectives were trying to figure out what the women were talking about but the code was impenetrable. The higher ups were looking intently at both women and Chief was feeling more and more depressed watching how serious Carmen was about this whole deal.

'I honeztly don't want to get involved in zhis Carmen.'

'Neither do I, there is no way to escape the hunt on an item so hot down there. I'm not thrilled with the idea someone on my team must die for this item that doesn't concern us.'

'Zhere is no telling if zhis virus will be able to be produzed outside zhe controlled labs. Zhere is one zhing to test it on internal subjects, but it may act faulty when uncontrolled. Plus zhere is no telling if zhey every produze it, and if zhey did it wouldn't affect us.'

'Point taken. This virus is intended for higher populations, not us. It is neither our problem nor our fight. There are some out there that need to die. Honestly I don't care about this at all.'

'Zhere will still be more to cash in zhan zhis.'

'I don't want to sound too cold for them; I got my personal reasons not to do this and my uncaring demeanor as well. I'm pretty sure they will not like the price of the negotiation. I hope they honestly don't' expect me to do it for free, if I even do it, it will cost them what a job like this costs.'

"Ejem," Sebastian interrupted them. "Will you take this job, Carmen?"

Carmen looked at Sarah, but Sarah only limited to hunch her shoulders. Carmen and Sarah both knew they could do the job, albeit its dangers, but neither of them wanted to do it.

"I will be honest with you, I don't like this job. And my first answer is no."

The higher ups started to protest but she stopped them putting her hand in the air.

"My second answer," She looked around to calm them down. "Is yes." She grimaced. "I have the skill, the personnel and the knowledge to tackle on this job, but by the sheer nature of it is going to cost you some more."

"Cost?" Mario asked. "What costs are you talking about?"

"Ha, you thought I worked for free?" Carmen laughed a bit. "Look I may look like I steal for the fun of it, but that is not true most of the time. I'm hired to steal objects, all those statues I have been stealing they were sold to private collectors for an amazing amount of money. Where do you think I get the dough to get all those vehicles, the gadgets, the miscellaneous things? And no, while I'm a fucking billionaire, I only put my own money on the items I wish to steal for myself, the rest are funded with blood money. If you guys want to "hire" me for this "job", I will invoice you for it. I have personnel to train, I have merchandize I need to acquire, I have info I need to collect and produce, and none of that is cheap. No one is going to tackle this High Stakes Theft if there is nothing to be gained out of it, nothing **big** to be gained."

The higher ups talked amongst themselves for a bit. Zack and Ivy were shocked; Carmen was a full fledged criminal right now.

"Alright, how much?" Sebastian said looking at her. Carmen was taken a back, she honestly didn't expected them to accept this.

"For a job like this, with the amount of personnel I'll use… it will cost you 4 mills. I can do my part for free and that is saying a lot, since I'm the one that will risk it all for this. Being friends with you all does that, but I will not expect that Sarah, nor any of my men would do this for free. I can leave it at 3 mills, and that is extremely cheap."

"Hum, 3000 isn't that bad." Chief assured.

"What 3 thousand?" She asked.

"Isn't mills the street denomination for Thousands in Spanish 'miles'?" Lana said.

"3 mills is 3 million dollars." Carmen looked at her in surprise.

Everyone gasped even Chief. The agency couldn't afford to give a criminal 3 million dollars for this.

"Where are we going to get 3 million dollars as payment." Sebastian was exasperated. "You… you… how much do you pay your henchmen? I mean, does your crimes actually pay that much?"

"I said 3 mills as cheap. I'm an important and powerful business woman in the Underworld. If you want me for a job you pay upfront for it. I guarantee success no matter what. I mean, what did you guys expected? VILE is a business like any other. I have rent to pay, electricity, gas, tv, internet, I have to train personnel, I have to get vehicles, information and everything else to make my business grow. Look at my weapons, they aren't cheap I had to k…, I had to go through a lot to get them and I'm not letting a single job destroy everything I have built for me down there." She looked around the room. "If you want me, pay. If not, I'll be leaving and as promised I won't be chased nor arrested."

The higher ups stayed silent for a while, then started murmuring between them. Carmen just enjoyed watching them, she knew she had them right where she wanted them. It was a win-sort of win situation for her, if they didn't hire here she was free of all that mess and if they did hire her she could get away with some loot for herself, that Mask wasn't the only thing of value in that museum and it could ease the hunt on her side.

Chief was aside, he went to Zack and Ivy to talk, but couldn't. Zack noticed the Chief's indecision and offered him a smile.

"Then you shall use our resources and personnel." Chief said with a serious tone. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him.

End of Chapter 5

Ugh… must… stop…. Turtle…. I think I lost my hare somewhere.


	6. Chapter 6

Here hare, hare, hare…. I gots a carrot for you!

The Look in Her Eyes

Scene 1

"WHAT!" Everyone exclaimed.

"You said you asked for payment because you used resources from your business. Why not use our resources and not worry about yours?" Chief explained.

"I may be the head of VILE but you are actually hiring VILE as an entity. And how does using your resources help with the situation?"

"You shall use our computers, our intel networks, our personnel. All transactions and planning shall be done from this very same room. No need for external interference. Use Zack, Ivy and Kevin as part of your team. Carmen Sandiego doesn't need to steal the item, we just need it to be stolen to retrieve the chip. It is still a cop investigation, we are not going to sell it in the Underworld, we just need to recover it by any means necessary."

Zack, Ivy and Kevin were taken by surprise. There were about to be hired by Carmen to work for her. The higher ups discussed this idea, it was still an opportunity for the plan to work.

"Can you do that Carmen?" Sebastian asked.

"Ah, yeah. It is a possibility, strange and uncomfortable as it sounds. But I don't have time to train them in all aspects of a heist like this involves. The personnel I got at hand has the training of heist control and maneuver, all they need is the rundown training of the job at hand. Zack, Ivy and Kevin have no experience what so ever of the life at the other side of the fence. It might be counterproductive."

"Then get half of your personnel. I'm sure Zack and Ivy, and even Kevin can learn the tricks in time."

"I wont' make such a risky move without at least Sarah and Hugo at my side. You still need to pay them half a million which is their paycheck each."

"Half a million dollars," Zack's jaw dropped. "There is something wrong in this world when a life of crime sounds better than the life of a detective.'

"Please Carmen," Chief was really clamoring at her heart.

Carmen sighted and looked at his holographic eyes. She averted her eyes and looked at the faces of desperation around her. They were more worried about the people that this virus could affect than they were worried about their facility running an illegal operation. The ball was in her park, and it wasn't bouncing that high. She weighted the pros and cons in her mind as fast as she could. Her mind and heart told her this was the right thing to do, but her instincts told her to walk away, something bad could happen that she won't be able to control.

"I'll pay Sarah and Hugo," Carmen said and the higher ups relaxed. "But I'm not responsible for an end result that isn't satisfactory." They all got serious again.

"We understand and accept the conditions." Sebastian said without consulting. He really needed to secure that chip.

"Alright then, we have a deal." Carmen got up and extended her hand to Sebastian. He took it with hesitation but shook it with determination. "I'll start making arrangements with Hugo and Sarah and within VILE for my absence. It will take me some days but I'll be back and we can start the planning."

"Sounds good. Could you guys give us the table for some moments." Sebastian pointed at the detectives and the thiefs. Carmen asentuated with her head and picked up her guns and replaced them in her coat as Sarah did hers.

Ivy got up fast and went to the kitchenette, she needed a glass of water to calm herself down. Zack went to her and they started talking, Ivy was furious that she was now under Carmen's control and couldn't complain about it. Kevin went to her as well, he was a bit excited about this turn of events but was afraid of mentioning it to anyone. Carmen and Sarah were replacing their guns and knifes from where they took them from in their coats and talked amoung themselves.

"This is not fair," Ivy fumed.

"Fair has nothing to do with this sis, if we don't agree with this many people will suffer."

"I know Zack, but what about our voice. Are we so insignificant to them?"

"That is not true. You are so important that even Carmen hesitated to take on the job." Kevin interrupted them.

"What do you mean hesitated?"

"She didn't wanted to take the job, so many excuses, she knew where the Chief was going when he proposed the joint venture. She even asked for some of her personnel cause she knows this is too dangerous for you two."

"From what I have learned today, Carmen isn't who we though she is. She is a criminal bitch and nothing more."

"Ivy that language." Carmen had made her way towards them.

"Well, you are. Guns, millions, death. You aren't that person we got on the ACME dossier."

"Yes I am a bitch and an amazing good one I may say. But still, I'm not as happy with the results, so at least cut me some slack."

"You smell bullshit?" Kevin asked looking at her.

"From miles away." She answered smiling at him. "There is something they aren't telling us. Probably cause they are blind themselves. If we do this we must know more than them and tell them nothing."

"Giving us orders already," Ivy slammed the glass on the countertop.

Carmen had enough, she was the queen bee everywhere she went and wasn't about to cope with some young girl drama. Without Ivy noticing Carmen stood to her fullest in front of her.

"I care shit about your feelings in this matter. I agreed to work this job because there is nothing else you can do about it. Don't take the frustrations you got in your fucking life on me cause I'm not gonna take it. You are under me, you will do what I say even if you like it or not and trust me, I got means to make it so. You are right, I'm not the cutey you see on the dossier, I'm a bitch that gets what she wants. You respect me and I'll respect you, end of our friendship. You want to be treated as a woman of power Ivy, start taking decisions like one. Go over there and tell them you want out, because if you stay I'll make sure you get your ass served under my rule. Understand?" The look in her eyes told the truth, she wasn't the mellow type. Ivy was freaking out and scared for the first time in a long while. She even noticed she wanted to cry. Kevin saw this and intervened as Zack was as paralyzed as his sister, more so when Sarah had placed herself between Zack and Carmen and was looking intently at him.

'She understands,' Kevin whispered in her ear. 'She is as scared as you about this whole mess. Let her vent her anger, it will do her well for them to fall in deaf ears.'

Carmen backed up and so did Sarah. Zack went to his sister and she hugged him. She didn't wanted to live through that ever again.

"It's not going to be easy," Carmen said with an easier voice. "It really doesn't matter how many times you have stolen things, everything is brand new when you steal something. When you are dealing with a High Stakes Theft or HST you need trust from everyone involved. HST's are famous for getting everyone involved killed when the trust and respect is broken. I don't want to die just because a teenage girl has her hormones high. The better we do this the faster we get going with our lives, understood?" The detectives agreed, Ivy was sobbing a bit but Zack agreed for her.

"Is everything alright here?" Chief came by with a dull expression.

"What were you thinking, proposing that?" Carmen received him with anger in her voice.

"I was the one that proposed this idea. If anyone in this world could get us that chip it was you. If I had already gone in too deep, why not just reach the bottom?"

"Sometimes the bottom is way too deep Chief."

"We have to get that chip back Carmen, we just have to. So many lives are at stake; even I that am a computer program feels the anguish of humans and their short lives." Chief looked sad. Carmen placed a hand over his holographic image as a sign of affection. Ivy watched this act of compassion and straightened herself up, she didn't wanted Chief to think she was a cowards.

"It won't be easy. I have to train these three in the basics of our MO. That in itself is risky as I'm literally opening my play book to you. Since I'm the one that will control everything the tension among those higher ups there will be massive. They are all leaders of their respective groups and for them to have someone above is going to be hard. I'll need you to back me up on decisions here."

"I will."

"Good." Carmen smiled, she really had missed him so much. "This is going to be interesting. I need some preparations in VILE so it doesn't crumble when I'm gone. You'd be surprised how easy it is to jump on an Underworld leader when he/she isn't there. I'll need to give the impression I'm working on my things while I do this job. It will be necessary for these three here to come with me from time to time. But we will discuss this as things go on. In the mean time, I'll make my preparations and you make yours. I'll see you guys in 3 days."

"Three, I'm starting to hate that number." Chief smiled as Carmen turned her back to leave through the door.

"Hey, I said I shall escort you in and out of this place." Ronaldo's voice boomed from across the room when he noticed Carmen disappear in the elevator. He ran towards it to fulfill his duty.

"I don't know if I can do this Chief." Ivy said in tears.

"Come now girl, it will all be fine. Sometimes we have to let go in order to do things right."

"Chief, the problem is you didn't consult us. You just pointed at us and made us do a thing that is against our philosophy. It hurts, Chief. To be treated as just pawns in a board of chess." Zack was with Ivy on this one, and he usually isn't in situations like this.

"Please forgive me my friends."

Ivy looked at him and started to walk away to the elevator with Zack along side her. Chief felt a tug at his heart program, he knew this will test all their friendships and maybe break a few, but what he didn't knew was that it will start so fast. Both young detectives disappeared in the elevator, both immersed in their thoughts and none talking them out.

"It will pass Chief," Kevin said.

"But when?"

"That is the magic of it all, time will tell. Look, this was too much information for all of us to handle. Even I am sort of in shock by all this, I never expected I'd be a fake criminal by the end of the day. When the plan is in motions and we get a clear look at the light at the end of the tunnel it will all be worth it."

"Hope so, old friend."

Scene 2

"We are in zhis way to deep, Carmen. Why did you agreedz to doing zhis?"

"They are obviously preoccupied by the contents of this chip that they don't see anything happening to their sides. Point taken they didn't even deter when Chief proposed me using all their resources. They didn't noticed Chief just gave me the key to their entire system, and when I agreed to open mine they blocked that preoccupation from their minds. This is a once in a life time opportunity Sarah to take advantage of them. We will have everything at our disposal and better yet, it can't reverse back to us cause it was them that gave it to us."

"So, we are not going to zteal zhis chip?"

"We may not even need to Sarah, we are going to steal something alright." Carmen smiled evilly at Sarah.

"I'll get started on my end." Sarah smiled back at Carmen.

"The chip is their problem, our problem is Them."

Scene 3

"Watch it Ivy your about to run into a wall.'

"I'm sorry little bro, I'm not in my right mind at the moment."

"Sis take it easy.'

"I can't take it easy!" Ivy shouted at Zack. Zack was surprised by the sudden burst of anger from his sister. Ivy noticed his scared face and backed out. "I'm sorry, so sorry. I don't know what is wrong with me. When I started in ACME I was proud about the difference I could make in this world. Everyone should start to make a difference in order to survive. We can't all be bad people. There are good people that need to be defended that need to be saved. But now, this potential virus threatens the good people and I'm willing to do everything to save them. However, how can I stand proud if the means I used were criminal, what does it say about justice? Isn't justice the one that always prevails? What has become of justice if it merges with criminality? I can't think straight now Zack, please leave me alone."

Zack was left behind on a cold hall. In front of him Ivy walking with her head down and her thoughts in gloom. To his back, the elevator that only lead to uncertain future. He was sad that his sister was so involved in her own misery she didn't even noticed Zack was sad as well. He also had conflicts in this issue and he needed someone at his side to straighten them out. Sadly there was no one, he was all alone. He tried to think of them, seeing and believing he was as strong as his sister that can resolve them all by herself, and he discovered he was still too young to do it.

He felt a hand on his shoulder that startled him. Kevin was beside him smiling down.

"If you were older, I'd take you out for a drink. Looks like you need to get wasted."

"I'm just trying to organize my thoughts, that is all."

"And it is not going well as I see."

"How can you be so calm and carefree?"

"Live slapped me too many times already to fear it. You will learn in time that, you can't expect life to be the same or one predetermined thing. If it were, uff I'd be bored. Organize your thoughts inside the ideal that this one day will be an amazing story to tell your grandkids. Imagine the intense look in their eyes when you tell them how, sometimes, the right thing to do is not the easiest thing."

Zack smiled despite his sad thoughts. Kevin was right and he was glad to have someone with such kind words be there with him at that moment.

"I may not be old for a drink, but I know where we can get wasted on pizza."

"You drive a hard bargain, let's go.'

Scene 4

"This better end up working Sebastian, who know what international issues we may have if all this mess comes out." Xuan retorted.

"Carmen is the best, besides we will be one step ahead of her. Having her here will give us leverage. If things go wrong, we will have her in our custody and be able to exchange her for the chip. She might have been like my big sister, but times have changed."

Mass remained silent after Ronaldo had left after Carmen. He sensed Carmen's desperation for not taking the job, but had seen her willingness in being part of it which contradicted all he knew about criminal minds. He was more alert than the others.

He went aside and picked up his sat phone. Looked around his mind for a phone number and typed it. The phone ranged exactly 3 times and he hung up. He waited 1 minute and called again, this time someone picked up.

"Dustin, I belive we won't have a problem. There is something else inside Carmen's mind. I'll keep you posted." He hanged up and returned to the higher ups.

End of chapter 6

Woah… no cliff hanger… what has gotten into me…. Never the less, please tell me you got goose bumps when Carmen menaced Ivy and the evil mind of the master thief. Leave your reviews and comments please.


	7. Chapter 7

By now you guys must know i have no idea what i'm doing…. Ahahhaha. But the story must go on and on and on.

The Look in Her Eyes

Scene 1

Somewhere along a Caribbean shoreline stood a simple manor overlooking the sea. It was normally unoccupied but that weekend the estate's grounds where over packed with cars and vans from secretive guests. Even though many had come, only 6 were allowed to be in the conference room, the rest waited patiently on the grounds for the decisions being made inside. Everyone knew this was going to be big, and they mentally prepared to be justly rewarded.

"The nerve of those ACME, come to hire us like we were no good thiefs," Moe said staring at the picture of the Xul mask.

"Forget the nerve, it's the idea that we are not worth the money for a good theft," Lars said. "At the mention of payment they cut us out."

"Leave your bruised egos out of this for a while and listen, there are more important issues at matter." Carmen said while placing more photographs and some master plans on the table.

"Wait, we are going to steal that mask?" Paige said while looking at the many master plans. "Or are we going for something else?"

"We are going to steal 4 things in the mean time." Carmen said as she looked up to met everyone's estrange faces.

"What? But you zaid zhat we didn't needed to steal zhe Xul mask at all?" Sarah said while picking up some plans and looking through them.

"Oh we are, but that for Hugo, you Sarah and me to figure it out. I have more plans for Moe, Lars and you Paige." Carmen settled down and took a set of files. "While Sarah, Hugo and I are on that mission I want you three to start preparations to steal this monument in Chicago, US. I will not participate in the planning but I will participate in the operation. So keep in mind that I will fallow your instructions as I wont' know what is really going on." Moe took the file, while Lars examined the plans and Paige took notes.

"Time frame: 15 days. Method: Hide and Seek. Getaway: Airborne. Personnel: 9. Comunication: Overhear. Got it?" Carmen said. These were their personal code for master planning each and every crime they all commit. It gave the crime scene a structure that they all could understand and fallow if things got wrong. "Ok, the rundown is the fallowing: location is on the north border on the Jackson Park, lat 41.78, long -87.58. Height from finish floor: 6ft, total height, 38ft. Weight: 8.28 tons. It is secured to the ground by pile caps located at 2 ft intervals on-center. Normal reinforced concrete 3k psi. Make your plans and start on this." Carmen finished as Paige ended her note taking and Moe and Lars started talking.

"On to the other one, this one is on Mont-de-Marsan, France. This is the rundown, for you guys" Carmen didn't read the entire rap-sheet to them as she was getting a bit more excited about what was behind all this heists.

"Same time frame, or overlapped?" Lars asked.

"Back to back." Carmen said. "When we get the first monument, start planning for the other. That way it will give me enough time to finish the Mask heist and get the equipment in place."

"Equipment? I though you were making all this to not raise the crowd on taking over VILE while your gone." Moe remarked.

"I'm not really interested in any of the monuments. They will be sold and all the profit will be shared equally among the personnel you choose and of course you guys. I'll just be there for show that is for sure. However, there is a more underlying thing I need for you guys. I didn't choose these monuments for their potential cost; I choose them for their location. Listen up closely, for what I'm about to tell, shall not go out of this walls. This is our payday my friends."

They all gathered closely to Carmen as she explained what exactly they were going to be doing. She left the thieving plan for her Moe, Lars and Paige, because that theft isn't what was important. What they heard was the most arrogant and ambitious plan ever presented to them by their boss, and strangely enough, they all wanted to be a part of it.

Scene 2

"I'm worried Carmen might take advantage of us at some point." Ivy retorted.

"I know that is a possibility, but come on, we trust Carmen." Chief said with a smile.

"Trust or no trust, she might have something up her sleeve. She always did." Kevin said taking his coffee to his lips.

"Guys, Carmen might be our new 'boss' but lets not forget we are ACME detective. We will be the ones operating on the system along side her. If she does something wrong, trust me I'll know." Zack was confident in this situation.

The door opened and Sebastian and Mass walked in.

"Good morning detectives, how are my criminals in training doing?" Sebastian joked.

"Not so great." Ivy said.

"Lets not forget what is at stake detective." Mass looked stirringly at Ivy and she tensed a bit. "This is no time to give in to doubt or anxiety. We must prepare carefully for what we let Carmen do here. We must give her enough libertinage for her work but we must also put up walls to make her stop. Any command she give you guys, you'll make a note of it and pass it along to me at the end of each day without her noticing. I must keep an eye and ear at all times if she tries something shady. Understood?" They all accented with their heads.

"Furthermore, we must prepare for her arrest and that of Hugo and Sarah once this is all finished." Sebastian put a file on the table where they were sitting.

"Arrest?" Kevin was in shock. "Wait, part of my agreeing to this was to not be used to capture her."

"Sorry to say this Kevin, but I don't care shit about that." Kevin started to get up but mass stopped him. "The fact is Carmen is our top priority, yes she will help us with this crisis, but lets not forget she is a dangerous criminal. You saw it with your own eyes and heard it by yourselves, she is armed to the teeth and her operations are shadier than just stealing. I want you guys to infiltrate her organization, take notes, what is she up to? If she is smuggling things, I want to know, if she is killing, I want to know if she uses drugs, I want to know. We opened our playbook to her and she opened hers to us, we will take advantage of this and bring her down."

Even though Ivy was mad for working under Carmen, she felt annoyed about this turn of events. Zack didn't want to capture Carmen that way, it felt like cheating.

"After she hands over the chip we will proceed to entrap them and arrest them. Kevin you will have the honor of handcuffing Carmen yourself." Sebastian looked at Kevin and was surprised to see a frown in Kevin's face. "Don't forget she betrayed us all first Kevin. She decided to be a criminal and we arrest criminals, while you two will arrest Hugo and Sarah. No complains people. It is our job to stop criminals, not play around pretending to steal things." Kevin handed them the arrest warrants for them to fill in while snooping inside Carmen's operation. "I want those papers filled to the brim detectives." Sebastian and Mass got up and left the office.

"This is wrong, this is so wrong." Ivy was the first to talk.

"It is what we do Ivy." Chief said in a sad tone. "But knowing Carmen she will get out of it fine."

Scene 3

The Plaza was dimly lit by the Victorian street lamps on that chilly night. The streets were empty at such late hours of the night which made walking unseen easier for some. A group of solitary men and women walked from all over the city to meet at a certain bridge. They had been summoned by one of their own with a very tempting offer. They didn't great each other as one by one they gathered in the bridge. At the preset time a trap door opened on one of the side pillars of the bridge and one by one they all descended.

Meetings like this were forbidden up to a certain degree among them. Such important figures in the Underworld united in a single place would be a gold mine of opportunity for anyone with the balls to take them all out in a single strike. However, tonight, was very different, even the atmosphere around them felt different.

They continued climbing down stairs in a well lighted stair case until they reached the bottom. They all pulled a key from their neck chains and inserted them one by one on the locks in the door. The door opened when all the keys where turned at the same time. One by one they entered the hallway which was lighted with fluorescent bulbs. It was a long passage way that snaked around building subfloors and basement, the tenants of the buildings above them never knew that the soil surrounding their basements were the avenues of this elite group of underground masterminds. They finally came to the conference room of their liking. They all sat down and presented their keys on the table. The room was locked and when they were secured they started to great each other.

"Well, well, I though I'd never see the day when Carmen would make us an invitation." Said a plump Asian man named Anik. He was a mega weapons and arms dealer through out the entire world. Any illegal arm, even new technology he had it and he knew how each and everyone of them worked. He loved to test them on live subjects in his concentration camps he had for such tests.

"There is a first time for everything I guess." Carmen unbuttoned her coat and put it over her chair. She was member number 11 to this day. Every time one of the members died the numbers moved up, she had changed numbers 3 times since she became a member almost 8 year ago.

"Enough with this bullcrap, lets get it on I'm in the middle of a recollection and I need to supervise the bastards." Esteban took out a cigar and lit it with ease. He was the drug lords of drug lords, his word was law anywhere in the world. He had always had a soft spot for Carmen, even more when she proved she could give head like no other woman he had been with.

Carmen relaxed and took the cigar from Esteban's mouth and made it her own. This relaxed the atmosphere and other members started teasing how Esteban was easy on women and such other sexual toned mannerisms.

Carmen related the story about being hired by ACME, this surprised every single Elite member. She discussed exactly what was said at the meeting and who where involved. The Elite members started taking notes and whispering among themselves things. They were shocked to discover what was really in the chip and neither of them wanted any part of it. Some where mad that Dustin had cheated on some of his details to them as they were his biggest investors for the auction. She ended up her presentation explaining the thefts she was about to commit in order to install some equipment on the sites.

"The information on ACME is very interesting, plus your warning about Dustin and his auction was a plus, but this could all have been forwarded through our communication channels, why the meeting?" Hannah said after finishing her liquor. Hannah had the biggest prostitution and human trafficking agency in the world. She smuggled illegals in every country possible and administered all prostitution centers in Europe, Asia and South America.

"How about this?" Carmen placed a photograph in the middle of the table. "What if I told you guys I can steal this? How much do you guys think it is worth?" She looked around with glee as every face in that table stared in awe at the picture.

"That is impossible! That is insane." Marilyn put a hand over her mouth.

"How are you going to manage to steal this?" Jason asked.

"This is impossible to steal, but this right here is not." Carmen signaled to something in the picture. "If I get my hands on this everyone in this room could potentially get one of its very own." Gasps where hear all around the room.

"Why won't you marry me Carmen?" Esteban said.

"Cause I already got tired of sucking your dick." She said while smiling. They all laughed at this and then sat down again in their respective chairs.

"10 bills for this information old girl, what do you say?" Anik said looking straight at her.

"Oh no, Anik you got me all wrong. Never mix friends and money, it never ends well."

"Then what do you want?" Hannah asked very interested in Carmen's proposition.

"Services rendered." Carmen said with a smile.

Everyone smiled and the negotiations continued up till early morning when the group bid farewell and exited the same way they came in. In silence.

Scene 4

3 days after the meeting at ACME

"Where is that bitch!" Ronaldo's voice boomed again from the elevator hallway startling Ivy, Zack, Kevin and Chief that were waiting in the conference room that would turn into their house for the next 2 months.

"What is wrong now Ronaldo, is she here yet?" Kevin asked from the kitchen counter.

"Yes, but she ditched me again." Ronaldo said while glancing at Ivy and Zack, they were suppressing a laugh as they found this funny. "Well, atleast I know she will come here for sure.'

"Why is that?" Zack asked.

"Cause Kevin is here." Ronaldo said that as he stormed out into the hallway.

"What did I do to deserve such treatment?" Kevin said with his hands in the air and this made Ivy burst laughing.

"So she is really going through with this." Zack said. "And are we ok with this?"

"What other choice to we have, we can't actually tell her what is going on after this mission is completed." Ivy said taking a seat at the table.

"Lets just enjoy the ride, who knows where it might lead us; probably we never expected the same ending." Kevin said with a smile that made Ivy wonder what he meant by that.

"Are you already imagining naughty things?" Carmen's voice echoed in the room.

"Only when it comes to you, yeah." Kevin said letting his eyes wonder.

"Kevin, focus." Carmen came into the room with Sarah and Hugo along.

"I am."

"On the topic at matter." Carmen laughed as her eyes met Kevin's. "Well let's get started. I have a few pointers and rules that you guys need to understand and memorize, and then it is off to work, no time to loose."

End Chapter 7

Oh noes… subplots by the dozen! Why… why? Ah well, a good read is made up of twists and turns. Buckle up readers, this will be a long and bumpy ride. Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. Leave your reviews and comments, please.


	8. Chapter 8

Finally a plot advancing packed chapter…. Oh yes, you all have been waiting long for this and i'll deliver, i promise.

The Look in Her Eyes

Scene 1

Carmen was very thorough with the explanation of theft and crime scene management. Her method was simple and relied mostly on free thought on part of the person. Everyone was connected with coms in their ears for easier execution and Carmen over saw every aspect and directed most of the time.

The crash course in high stakes thefts lasted a total of 4 days. It included theory of escape and corporal movements of the trade. Even though there was a lot of information Ivy thought Carmen was always holding back something. Some little trick to make it faster, or make it less obvious and she was right. Carmen was training them in the art of her theft, but never in the art of how she exclusively did it. They might capture her henchmen with these techniques, but never her. Her arsenal was more private and more troublesome to explaining even to comprehend. Her mind worked faster than her mouth could operate, and she liked it like that. Stealing the way she did came natural and fluid, it was part of her.

"Uff, that I think is all… for now." Carmen said collapsing on the chair in front of the desk in their purple room.

"For now… wow, I'm exhausted just to hear you all this time." Kevin said from a chair next to her.

All six of them had been sharing the same living quarters for the past four days and it had been very interesting. Carmen and Sarah loved to play practical jokes on Hugo and Kevin. Carmen in particular liked to flirt heavily with Kevin only to leave him wondering in his mind. Made everyone laugh. This is not the Carmen they expected, nor did the Carmen Ivy saw in the last meeting.

Those days passed by in a strange routine. They got up and ate breakfast cooked by someone on their routine scheduled, then on to the meeting desk, and finally some dinner prepared by the same person from breakfast and then to their quarters to sleep. The detectives and thief's slept in different cubicles, probably planning or discussing what next. Chief was their only outside communicator and facilitator, he loved being around for everyone, even for Carmen, talking to her in between lessons.

There were a couple of routine breakers like Sarah's midnight snack steal. Zack was getting some water and all of the sudden Sarah came in the shadows with crazy looking goggles, she placed something on the refrigerator door and when she saw Zack, she hushed him. Sarah started to pump air into the strange device and the door opened without the light going on, she took some cookies, undid the air from the device and left in shadows. Other was when Ivy surprised Carmen and Kevin sort of getting it on in the desk on the wee hours of the night. They both jumped as they didn't expected anyone and sort of rushed past Ivy, each to their respective cubicles.

But other than that, each little group of people stayed closed together. On the fifth day, there were no more lessons; it was time to start planning their first move; surveillance and information gathering. Carmen was in charge of food that day and she got up to promptly do the chores. When everyone got up, they were received with the aroma of coffee, eggs, bacon and strangely enough fried plantains.

"Woah," Kevin was surprised.

"Oh my, hey she cooks." Chief said while looking at Kevin.

"Of course I know how to cook," Carmen was taken aback by the detectives' strange looks at her. Everyone was still in their pajamas with uncombed hair and the scene was a bit surreal for most of them. "I have lived alone all this time, I do know how to take care of myself very well. Besides it's just eggs, bacon, friend plantains and coffee, nothing out of the ordinary here."

"Oh, my fav plantains." Hugo said while snatching one out of the plate. He sat down besides Sarah that had already a cup of coffee on her hands.

"Carmen, does an amazing potato ztew," Sarah said waiting while Carmen started to serve.

Ivy and Zack were estranged by this domestic side of Carmen; they never had pictured her as the homely type. Seeing her like this opened a new side of her to the detectives eyes, even Kevin was smiling at this sudden secret coming out. Carmen loves to cook and is not bothered by the fact she is sharing this with them.

After a very amusing breakfast they all changed and went to work on the project. Planning their surveillance and recon was Carmen's top priority. Her rule was: The recon will dictate the plan. Every detail they could account for and cover will prove helpful in the theft and escape. All part of being a great thief, Ivy supposed.

"First off, we need to get to the museum and canvas the area. I need you guys to monitor guard movements, cameras, doors, floor color, everything the way I have taught you." Carmen started her pre-setup enterprise. "We will go at different hours and collect different but specific data. Prepare to act in a role I'm going to be giving you and dress up and work around it. No hero stuff, just be simple and relay any information back to us. Zack and Sarah, you will be a team. Sarah you'll play the mother and Zack you're her son." Sarah and Zack looked at each other and started to protest. "No complains." Carmen looked sternly at both of them.

"Your job is to monitor electronics. Camera, sound system, movement, thermal and laser sensors, every aspect of digital surveillance is on your department. You'll go as family cause I need Zack to play the over-nerd son explaining things to his mother, while Sarah takes pictures and detailed maps. You guys will go twice to the place, only team that will. The first round is for frontal surveillance like cameras and sensors; the second round is for mundane surveillance like doors and windows. Now go and prepare your equipement and roles." Sarah got up and walked to the kitchenette where she beckons Zack. Carmen trusted Sarah to go into full detail explanation as to what they were supposed to be surveying with Zack before heading out. Sarah was also short on words when it came to explaining what she did, but Zack fallowed her nonetheless.

"Ivy, you're an exchange student admiring the museum for a day. You'll be in the museum from dawn till dusk and your job is to survey non-security personnel. Make a who is who list and understand their patterns. Since you'll get a student visa, you can ask the personnel some questions and piece together the surveillance. Hugo, you know what I love you to do, however, don't concentrate just on this building's guards, look to the building beyond, extend your research into the night and I'll join you as always. Go now." Carmen said with a serious tone. Hugo took Ivy to the far side of the room where the computers where and started to explain to her the signs she needed to look for.

"What about me?" Chief said impatiently.

"You my good sir, will compile all the data we will be transmitting with our cell phones, cameras and coms to you. I need statistical data, graphical data and metric data as detailed as you can. Process the monitor feeds we will need to hack, the sensors we need to block. Correlate the guard movements and personnel transactions within the allotted timeslot. You're our eye, ears and brain processor at this point. Once we are inside I'll ask you specific questions and I'll need them answered on the spot, no hesitation or joke in them. Got it?"

"All right, I'll start by building some programs to process the info and.. oh my, so much work, so much fun…." Chief went on with his business.

"And what and who are we going to be?" Kevin asked with curiosity.

"We are a married couple of PhD historians and museum verifiers on vacation in London, which happen to secretly know about the Xul Mask exhibition and would love to get a sneak peek at it," Carmen said smiling flirty at him.

"We are basically going to con them into showing us the mask?"

"I like to check out my playground before playing in it. Our job is to make all of their jobs, but in that room. Plus since we are playing for an inside scoop we will relay information to them for specific detailing on things we figure out that could cause trouble." Carmen said while reorganizing some pictures and plans of the museum they had on file on the desk. "Will you be my husband once again?" she asked shyly.

"Why, detective Sandiego, I thought you'd never ask." Kevin said while taking her hand in his and kissing it. Carmen laughed a bit but quickly got away from him.

"Alright people, lets move. We need to steal this in about 15 days tops. Chief make the necessary accommodations for us. We need false IDs, papers and hotel rooms. You know the works."

"Wait, fake ID's?" Chief was puzzled.

"Yes, we can't actually go as us there." Carmen looked at a surprised Chief, she then looked at Sarah. "Alright, stand back, let me work. Sarah lets do this fast and after this C-5 us to London."

Sarah sat beside Carmen and they both uploaded a program in to Chief's system for making fake IDs and all sort of fake papers. The detectives were in awe at the amount of laws they were breaking, but the thiefs found it relaxing. After some time everyone had their fake IDs and were practicing their roles.

"No regrets I suppose." Carmen looked around at her team of unusual suspects. "C-5 us to London."

Scene 2

(if anyone has seen the tv show Levarage, yeah, I'm trying to be that cool.)

"Mom, look here." Zack said from the first exhibition panel near the front gate of the museum. He was dressed to appear a bit much younger than what he really was.

"Alright, I'm coming. Keep close to me, you know I'm not good at reading maps nor following directions." Sarah said with an incredibly true American accent. She looked to the receptionist and guard and smiled. "He is a prodigy, but I'm lost without his directions for morning traffic." The guard let them through and they both started their tour of the museum.

Zack bounced along happily telling and commenting things around the museums exhibitions and Sarah took lovely pictures of her son in action. Secretly though, Sarah was mapping the entire museum floors and spotting all hidden cameras and sensors. Zack was busy noting the camera angles and view paths, noticing how the sensors reacted to object and people and their proximity to one another. Zack never knew recon and survey was this complicated. Sarah was used to it even directing Zack towards a point of interest. Guards passed them by but they took little to no notice to the happy family.

Scene 3

Meanwhile Ivy paraded into the highest floor of the museum to be somewhat alone. She wanted to give the impression she was studying with determination and the upper levels had little public at that time of the morning. She also wanted to attract the attention of some personnel so she could ask some questions about the museum. She convinced herself she was doing this as a detective and not as a common thief. A young museum curator came to her and watched her as she wrote some notes on her pad in front of an amazing painting.

"It is strange to see such a fine young lady so inmerse in art," he said in the most calming of voices, but Ivy had to fake she was startled a little. All part of the role Carmen said. "yet, I find it reassuring that the newer generations truly appreciate this type of art."

"I find it extremely satisfying to interpret painting meanings and how they correlate to the expression the artists wanted to tell in them." Ivy said with a hint of country accent looking blushed.

"Well, then, an American that loves art."

"I'm a student from Tulane University. I'm here just to experience some of these stories for real, ya know what I mean."

"If you don't find it odd, I'd like to escort you through the museum's floors for a tour. I'm the collage advisor and I'd be honored to convey my knowledge."

"Well, sure I'd be delighted." Ivy got up and the curator started his detailed tour of the museum. 'So this is what being picked up by a green old man feels like' Ivy though, but suppressed a snicker.

Scene 4

Hugo didn't liked wearing elegant clothes, but Carmen needed him to play a savy entrepreneur and parade the museum looking like and iPad junkie. Cell phone in hand and parading his tablet around he didn't looked suspicious among the younger audiences and artists walking around.

He bumped to some security guard and took his ID, but promptly started to apologize. The bump with the guard gave Hugo the clue to check for his wallet to offer the guard his card and noticed his wallet was gone. Hugo explained to the guard he may have lost it somewhere in the museum and the guard took him to the security stall. Hugo's plan was in motion.

Scene 5

"Excuse me sir, Mr. and Mrs. Banderville on the suite. They were expecting a meeting with you this morning." The assistant's voice was heard over the president's intercome.

"Who?" Mr. Shawles was lost in his though. He had a grand opening of the Mask in a few weeks and was inmerse in the preparation papers for it.

"The Banderville's, Sir. They are the historians that authenticated the Wasio Mask in Peru a decade ago. They said they had an appointment with you today, but I don't recall anything about it sir. They are a bit enraged; you'd better come and meet them."

"THE BANDERVILLE'S," Shawles got up faster than he had ever known. Refreshed his hair a bit and went straight to greet them.

Shawles had never seen the Banderville's in person, but knew that a good review from them meant a great deal amoung his peers. He arranged for some of his personnel to ready the conference room and prepare for an exclusive lunch for all.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Banderville," Shawles greated a well dressed pair. The woman wore a white back-neck strap dress with white high heels, her hair black as a raven flowed down her back and white sunglasses that covered her eyes. The man wore an elegant suit and stood tall with his cane and hat, his face was expertly shaved and wore the same white sunglasses as his wife. Carmen though Kevin looked stupid with his sunglasses, but when Kevin put on the hat, he became a stallion, she said to him in the hotel room. Kevin had a hard time not looking at Carmen, she was splendid, good enough to don't let her out of their hotel room and just eat her all up in there.

"Hi Sir Shawles," Mrs. Banderville (Carmen) extended her hand to him. Shawles took it and kissed it. "I'm in awe at the marvelous collection your museum has in its power." Flirting about a man's power always gave her an advantage.

"I just ask for the best, none the less, madam." Shawles was pleased by the attractive woman in front of him.

"A man that knows what he wants, they don't make those any more my love. Atleast you got one of them." Mr. Banderville (Kevin) said and kissed her neck, which made Carmen giggle a bit.

"Do what I owe the pleasure of your visit my sir." Shawles asked Mr. Banderville.

"We heard from our inside sources that you have acquired a Xul Mask, and we were wondering if you could let us a sneak peek at it before the grand opening."

"Well, rumors do run fast." Shawles looked a bit worried and Carmen noted this. Could be and advantage later on, however she whispered in the com. 'Chief, get me everything you can on Shawles, the museum curator, he appears to be less than what we though.'

"We won't be able to attend the grand opening next month since we will be in Thailand for an authentication process, and since we are on vacation in London we decided to do it now. If you don't mind of course, we might even be of good use to the exhibition; one good review from us in the Museum's International Incorporated and you'll have your sales over the roof."

"Well, that exhibition is still in preparations. It is quite a hassle to go there in the midst of boxes and part workers there."

"Aw, but Sir Shawles," Carmen said as she left the arms of Kevin and took Shawls arm. "It is just a sneak peek. One professional to another." She said that with some growl in her voice that made Shawles tremble under the gaze of the woman. "Besides, we are the best of the best out there."

"Sure, when you put it that way. Yes, I'll prepare to escort you, sirs, to the exhibition. Wait here one moment please." Shawles disappeared into his office, but they both heard when he told the secretary to prepare the saloon with the Mask, he wanted everything perfect just like when the exhibition opens.

"That was perfect." Carmen said smiling at Kevin.

"Perfect, that was fun."

Scene 6

Closing time came at last, and not one of the detectives dared to express their feeling of exhaustion from the days work. Neither could understand how Carmen and her group could do this on a regular basis. All that walking, noting, detailing, listening more noting was really hard work. They had agreed in the morning to meat up in the plaza just front of the museum. Everyone was there except Hugo.

"What a long day," Zack said stretching.

"Long indeed, I had to suffer through information and pick up lines for over 8 hours, can you believe that." Ivy was exhausted.

"Hey, atleast you don't have to come back tomorrow." Zack said as he opened a C-5 and hopped in. Ivy fallowed him, she couldn't wait to slip into a nice hot bath at the hotel.

"Well, I'll go prepare for zhe rest." Sarah said as she walked out of the plaza. Carmen and Kevin stayed alone in the plaza admiring the scenery.

Hugo appeared on the side of the museum in the shadows and caught Carmen's eyes. He signaled he was ready for the night. Sarah was on the corner within an unmarked van and spoke to Carmen on the com.

"Ready when you are."

"Ok, t minus 3 minutes." Carmen said in a low voice, then she looked at Kevin and gave him her purse. "Go to the hotel, now." Carmen said taking off the high heels she had been the entire day and putting on some tennis. She changed to less conspicuous clothes and got some climbing gear on.

"What, why?" Keving asked confused.

"The next part of the surveillance is the night shift and I do need professionals for this. I got no time to explain how to do this to detectives, I need people with experience. I'm going to do this with Hugo up there and Sarah down here. Go to the hotel and start plotting all the surveillance on Chief's programs to work up our strat." She looked back at Kevin and saw a worried expression on his face.

"I thought we were all a team, that you didn't hide things from us."

"Do you trust me?" Carmen looked directly at his eyes. Kevin was enthralled by the look in her eyes and nodded in agreement. "Then do as I say, and never question my authority." Saying that, she strolled off to the side of the building and disappeared with Hugo.

Kevin stayed longer than he was supposed to. He didn't quite understand why the sudden change of character. 'Probably the job requires it. Besides we aren't thiefs, why would she trust us with her safety.' Kevin thought as he opened a C-5 portal and left for his hotel room.

End of Chapter 8

Uuuu… don't ya love how they work together. ^^, This was a lighter chapter I must say and I enjoyed writing it. Is the story going over too long? Is it interesting? Is it a drag of personal unachievements? Wait what? Leave comments and reviews.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the long waits between updates, too much going on, but don't fear, I am here. Lets see some action on this chapter, what do you guys think?... not THAT kind of action, ok ok, even THAT kind of action.

The Look in Her Eyes

Scene 1

The first night of night shift went by smoothly. Both Carmen and Hugo didn't have any problems scouting the area and finishing the sweep for the heist. Sara monitored the video and audio feeds and scanned for unknowns for nearly the entire night. The thiefs where used to this kind of late night workouts, it's just that they started to feel their age when 5am rolled along.

"Sometimes I don't know if to be glad nothing happens or to be sad when it is so boring nothing happens." Hugo snickered and threw a flashlight to Carmen.

"Yeah well, it's not like I like to get freaky all the time," she took the flashlight and stared to the ceiling. They were just below the chamber with the display case of the mask, inside the service space between floors.

"We couldz, you know, take itz now, Carmen." Sarah's voice came in the com. "Nozhing haz been triggerz, and to be jonest, zhis iz too eazy."

"Too easy that I don't like it." Carmen was really pulled in by her thieving instincts to drill through the floor and finish the job. She started to crawl her way to the other side of the structural beam. "There is something we are missing I'm sure of ..." She instinctively flatten herself to the beam, and when Hugo saw her reaction he got out his gun, flatten himself next to the beam and pointed the gun in the direction she was looking. Sarah heard both of their deep breaths and started to assess the situation.

There on the far side of the corner beam someone worked pretty fast and quiet. The figure in black placed small circular devices in a perfect line from the corner pillar to the center pillar. Unnoticed by him, Carmen had her headpiece recording the whole operation. The new player thief finished its job half an hour later and left quietly, leaving Hugo and Carmen free to explore.

"Looks like we aren't alone anymore boss." Hugo said examining one of the devices.

"I love my job." Carmen said smiling and picking up one of the devices, knowing well they were small detonators.

Scene 2

The second day of recon went smoothly; Sarah and Zack finished their sweep of all the electronic security in and outside the building. There were more systems just for the specific room with the mask than there were for the rest of the museum. This really intrigued Sarah, since she had been awake for all night she was more jumpy than usual.

"Everything ok there?" Zack asked.

"Zhis is too strange, Zackary." Sarah was noting on her tablet. "Zhe security iz mostly conzentrated on the mask ezxhibition. Zhey are taking rezourses from ozher security zectors just for zhis area."

"Now that is strange. Guess Carmen was right; someone from the inside knows what is inside the mask."

"And zhey mey know we are afterz it." Sarah yawned as she powered down the tablet.

"We should go, it is almost closing time but I believe you haven't slept in the last 24 hours."

Both jumped in the C-5 they opened outside the building near the cargo area. It must have been Sarah's exhaustion, as she was always alert in these surroundings, but she missed a pair of black figures lurking in the bay area. When the C-5 disappeared, both figures entered the museum's cargo area fallowed by three more.

Scene 3

The night offered an open sky while the white moon oversaw the city. Carmen loved to be under the moonlight, but sometimes it distracted and complicated her plans. Hugo and Carmen knew what they were looking for when they slipped past the group into the night shift. Years of training made their canvas a silent one. Sarah loved being in the recon van or posts, gave her a sense of bossiness that she enjoyed. Carmen knew this was a bit intoxicating for Sarah, but offered her friend that satisfaction from time to time.

"And we are onzline, Carmen." Sarah's voice came over the com.

"Sarah how many monitors do you see?" Carmen asked jokingly.

"Zix 24inch onez, 3 10inch onez and... waitz.. what?" Sarah was confused. Carmen and Hugo suppressed a laugh from their post over the museum's roof.

"You only slept 6 hours before we left those fuckers at ACME." Carmen and Hugo had drunk and smoked what was left of the NY cargo she had distributed days before this operation and was a bit off. "Look if you really want to just 10-7 we'd take it from here. No big shit is going on tonight."

"I'm okz, don't undereztimatez me." Sarah placed the burning tip of the joint she was smoking on the microphone which created a feedback on their ears.

"Ouch, bitch." Hugo cursed. "If I wanted to get my stuff cleaned out I'd had forced your hand down there." Both Sarah and Carmen laughed hard.

"Great, let's explore Hugo."

Scene 4

"What are they doing out there tonight as well?" Ivy asked to no one in particular in a very mad tone.

"They need to scout the night area since we are actually going to steal this during the night. Besides, they are the real thiefs, we'd only see how not to break in, as they see ways to break in." Kevin was in the computers imputing all the data so that Chief could sort it out.

"But we are part of the operation too; we need to be there with them to see what we are going to be doing. Besides we are the cops, how do we know they aren't going to betray us?"

"Well, Ivy, we are basically betraying them at the end. If we know Carmen, she just wants to finish this as fast as possible and without any complications." Zack said looking at his sister. When he saw her mad eyes, he averted his gaze towards Chief, imploring him some divine intermission.

"Calm down Ivy, we have never done such a thing as this, maybe she just wants to get it right the first time and not just waste time explaining every little detail to us." Chief said, understanding Zack's plea.

"Fine then, I'm out of here, if you guys want to trust them fine, I don't" Ivy stormed out of the Purple Room without clearance making the alarms go off.

"Hope she doesn't cause problems." Kevin said looking at Chief.

"She will, Zack, please monitor her GPS cords, if anything happens don't' hesitate to draw my attention."

"On it." Zack said reaching out for the computer. 'If I know my sister she is bound to go to the museum to spy on Carmen. Sigh sis, please be carful.' Zack thought.

Scene 5

"Well that is all of them in place, boss lady." Hugo said.

"I love it when they call me boss lady."

"Well, bozz lady, I got everzhing out of zhis place. We are hotz to go." Sarah said over the com.

"Ok, wrapping out. Lets get out of here, I know those bastards are wondering what we are doing and I don't' want horseshit drama."

Hugo and Carmen started their way back. It was a bit uncomfortable crawling on the ceiling rafters, but not as much as other places they had been. The new addition to the museum sported steel trusses with wood rafters to appear as a continuation of the old in the new. The sprinkler systems didn't made the job any easier, but what really ticked off Carmen is the low progressive visibility that the mechanical equipment provided. She loved working on the main floor space, not afraid of the video or any kind of other surveillance. This time she felt different, she wasn't actually enjoying this job. She had to take extra precautions she didn't take on other jobs since she was inviting the ACME detectives on her venture. She liked the thrill of leaving something exposed as to have a bit of fame for herself.

Years of being exposed to near death situations had tensed her mind and muscle to learn how to react to anything that disturbed her senses. In a second she got her Matchmaster .45 out and shot three rounds to her left side hearing a scream of pain from one of the stalkers. Hugo looked for a safe place to stall himself and take the intruders down. Carmen was carefully surveying her surroundings for any movement to shot at.

She had injured one very badly cause all she could hear was agonizing coughing and pain cries. 'That guy will die tonight,' she though. 'Nothing I shoot down ever comes up.' Her eyes already adjusted to low visibility noticed movement on her far left again. 'Big mistake'

Bam, Bam Carmen's big .45 resonated in the interspace between floors. Carefully aiming so as not to waste any bullets she scored again. Hugo saw the shoots being fired in return towards Carmen and aimed at them. Carmen took cover behind one of the steel trusses mid pillars and looked at Hugo trying to see if he was hurt or not. Hugo finished his round of bullets from his Baretta .38 and looked back at her, making a signal to see if she was ok, she signaled back she was.

"Whatz going on, I havez no vizual of you." Sarah said over the com.

"Access the inside surveillance from the floor above us and the corridors down from us." Carmen whispered.

"Inzide?" Sarah was confused. "Why wouldz zhat provide?"

"Sarah, just do it. These guys didn't come from the outside; these guys were already inside the building. They aren't guards, but they are professionals since they didn't activate any alarms getting here. They came from inside, probably from the basement and made their way up then crawled down to where we are." That was why Carmen was the boss of VILE, she knew things that no one else could dare, probably from her detective training. Even if it took her a minute to assess the situation, she always took control of it.

Bam Bam! the gun fire exchange kept going on for some time, which made Carmen anxious cause all this commotion would indeed attract the guards. Hugo scored himself a true kill on his second stand in. Carmen had put one down already and managed to get another one on the face, but not a definitive kill. She kept aiming to the concrete or to them, fearing the noise would be excessive if she misfired into steel.

Bam Bam, two kills for Carmen and three for Hugo.

"You'z right, seven in totalz came zhrough the basement door numberz zthree."

"Seven, we have 5 down, Carmen." Hugo said.

"No'z wait... nine more are goingz up zhere now." Sarah sounded a bit worried. "Zhey have big gunz."

"Just like I like them, big and nasty." Carmen snickered and Hugo gloated at this.

"It's time to go Carmen, what is the plan." Hugo looked at her.

Carmen had been working on a plan since the first shot she fired. She had ruled three escape plans already but this last one proved right. She had to create a diversion so that Hugo could open the trap door hidden in the gypsum board next to her. Once Hugo got it open they could rappel down, but first they had to kill the assailants before. If they rappelled down with them alive, the assailants would kill them from above.

"Hugo, remember the Marionette job?" Carmen looked at him then at herself.

"Yes, but I don't like the idea of it." Shots where fired in their direction.

"You have the strength to pull it off, I'll take them both. On three?" Carmen said with some tears on her eyes. 'This will hurt in the morning.'

She exposed her right wrist and just in queue BAM! The shot went below her wrist she screamed in pain but got up having fooled the assailant into showing himself she shot him on the head and shot the other on the neck. Meanwhile, while Carmen was getting shot Hugo rolled over to her side and opened the trap door. By the time he threw and secured the rope she had finished the job. Carmen 4, Hugo 3 and curiously enough Sarah 5. The nine extra assailants weren't alone. They pulled next to the van and tried to get in. Sarah hadn't slept very well and took her rage on the poor guys... one by one.

"You ok to climb down." Hugo said looking at her wrist.

"Yes, just a flesh wound." The shot had gone through the lower part of the wrist. It didn't damage any nerves or muscle, but it did leave a nasty cut that gushed blood. She wrapped it tightly so that none of the blood fell on the roof gypsum tiles. Hugo went looking for the bullet and picked it up; cleaning with a solvent used for such occasions the bullet hole on the concrete next to her.

They both rappelled down as fast as they could and Hugo disengaged the rope. As they were running out of the floor shots were fired at them from the ceiling. Two of the other assailants that were backing up the original group caught up with them. Carmen and Hugo returned fire while running out of the floor.

They carefully made their escape as fast as possible, even with their good aim they were clearly outnumbered. Running out to the plaza to meet the van where Sarah was, they discovered Sarah with her Baretta XX-treme she had wanted to use for a long time. A pile of bodies all around her, she was silently cleaning her gun.

"Looks like we all had fun tonight." Hugo said looking at the mess.

"You know how to imprez a womanz on her firzt date." Sarah said joking then looking at Carmen's wrist. "You gotz hurtz again. What am I goingz to do withz you? Hugo drive I'll tendz to the bozz."

"It's a flesh wound, Sarah, lets just roll and get out of here fast. Those guys will fallow us."

They got inside and Sarah started to monitor cop frequencies for a sign of the robbery, but none were dispatched. It seemed odd at first but then she noticed the assailants weren't fallowing neither.

"Carmenz" Sara said looking at Carmen's eyes. She didn't need to say anything the master thief could sense it.

"I know Sarah, it was an expel attack, just to get us out of there. Whatever they are planning will be in place tonight."

"So, we need to do more recon?" Hugo said looking back through the visor.

"Not entirely," Carmen stretched herself on the side bench, it might have been a small wound but the towel was already damped with blood. "They have the same intel as us, they didn't change nothing on the floor nor the systems. We got out of there without provoking any and so did they when they came in. That means we are both playing with the same console, its just they are installing their game and we ours. Lets just hope we get to play ours first. But one thing is for sure, it will take them time. Since they are moving bit by bit, plus if they need this much people they will take their time to set up."

Hugo looked forward and Sarah resumed her monitoring. Carmen just reflected on the ceiling and tried not to whimper with the pain on her wrist.

Scene 6

The van pulled on the purple docking bay ACME higher-ups had specifically called for them. The thiefs pulled inside and got their surveillance equipment out. They headed straight to the elevator, purple elevator (i hate purple now) to take them to where the others were.

It was past 4am this time when the elevator doors opened and they walked in. To their surprise everyone was awake, even Ronaldo. He was mad as no other and was scolding Ivy for her little unexpected outside trip. Apparently she had gone to the museum to investigate and was spotted by the nine assailants that were waiting on orders from their inside team. When the assailants spotted that Ivy was going to break in they called her out. Out of the blue the C-5 corridor opened and out of it came Ronaldo and dragged her into it.

Ronaldo looked past them and stormed out.

"I keep a tighter leash here after you left, bitch." Ronaldo said passing her.

"I'm glad to be of use, even after I left asshole." Carmen murmured grabbing her arm.

Ronaldo left the room and Chief came to them, to explain what had happened. Carmen sighted and left to the kitchen, she understood now why had their plan gone south so fast. 'Damn detectives.'

"I said I was sorry already, besides, nothing happened, its not like I got anywhere but the back door." Ivy said as she took a seat next to Zack.

"That was stupid sis, what if someone saw you or if the security system was activated? All of our recon would be ruined."

Hugo went and sat next to Kevin and exhaled. Sarah was really exhausted and Carmen urged her to go to sleep, and so she did. Carmen gave Chief a tired look and handed over the last of the recon so he could input it on the programs. He was actually enjoying himself, rarely did they asked him to get overly involved in program, and they only used him for research.

"Rough night?" Kevin said giving the beer he had just taken out of the fridge moments before they came to Hugo. Hugo downed it as if it were water.

"Yup, nasty encounters of the close kind." The adrenaline was leaving him just as fast. "You should check on her." He said pointing at Carmen. She was standing on the kitchen faucet with her right hand limply on her side.

"Why should we? Didn't you say you guys were professionals and didn't need our help?" Ivy retorted.

"If you haven't noticed she is bleeding heavily." Hugo got up to the bath room; he had to take a bath after crawling on that space.

Kevin got up faster than ever when he saw that the floor beneath Carmen had blood drops all over. He rushed fast towards her taking the first aid kit from the cabinet near the kitchen. She wasn't expecting him and startled in both pain and surprise when he grabbed her arm.

"Fuck!" She said with watery eyes. She had to admit for a flesh wound it hurt more than usual. She had examined the bulled on the way home and she understood why it hurt so badly. The bulled was specialty made, with shredding teeth that serrated flesh and bone when it passed through. If it would have been a simple bullet, she wouldn't feel that much pain, but this grinded through and through. "Leave me it's just a flesh wound." She tried to pull her arm away from him.

"You got shot." Kevin said a bit loudly which made Ivy, Zack and Chief come to them. Carmen had been shot before, twice where mostly deadly, but she had survived. She had a tattoo on every single one of her shots; six in total, now her thought were what to design for this one.

"What?" Chief was very worried. "Omg, where, how, why? Does it hurt? Will you die? Do you need medical attention?" Chief was all over her which made her uncomfortable.

"It is nothing...shit, watch it Kevin." Carmen said as Kevin started to pull up her jacket sleeve and revealed her wound. It was a clean shot through on the lower part and it would surely leave a nasty scar.

"How did that happen?" Zack asked worried. He knew people like Carmen would take a bullet sooner than later, but having it seen live and for the first time was something else.

"We were finishing the sweep when we got surprised by 7 assailants on the roof rafters. We could have taken our time to run out the same way we came, but apparently the backup crew they had on the back side of the museum got tipped off." She said looking stirringly at Ivy.

"I'm sorry; it's just that I... I'm sorry!" Ivy said almost sobbing. She was through with this untrusting business; she didn't want anyone hurt, not even the thiefs.

"It's ok, not the first time I get shot, believe me." Carmen said as if this was something normal, then she remembered where she was. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Well it is a flesh wound but the inner wound is serrated, must be hell of pain your feeling." Kevin said looking at her eyes. She moved her head in a no, but her eyes betrayed her pain.

"Look, next time you don't trust me just say so. I'm not someone that trusts easily and I don't' expect to be trusted either." She said tiredly at Ivy. "I'm used to being betrayed, conned, shot, insulted... you name it. If there is something bothering you, fucking say it. I can take any bullshit you throw at me." She said that last part smiling a bit. "Shit! Watch it."

Kevin was starting to apply some antiseptic to the wound. "Hey, no more of your dirty mouth." He said jokingly looking at her. "Unless you're in a horizontal position."

"Ha! That is a good one." Carmen said ruffling his hair. "Go sleep Ivy, it's alright and Zack, go take care of her. Tomorrow you guys might like to work a bit on the last recon info, we'll be too tired for this. Motherfucker!" Kevin dabbed the interior of the wound with medicine. She hit him on the back and he grabbed her arm so she wouldn't take it away from him. "You asshole, you have any idea what your fucking doing. I can fucking take care of it, shit." She placed her head on his shoulder to muffle the cry, still trying to free her arm from Kevin's grip.

Zack and Ivy left them together alone. Chief sort of took the hint and prepared to leave.

"You can use the fifth door to the left to get some fresh night air." Chief said with a smile, he wanted to look at her and see if she was fine. Carmen looked up at him with tearful eyes and managed to smile back and him and mimic a 'thank you' with her lips.

Carmen and Kevin were left alone, really alone for the first time since they had seen each other again. He was taking care of her so gently that her pain of the wound was almost gone. She started to caress his hair and back, seeing him liking that. Kevin kept his cool cleaning and dressing her wound when he started to feel hotter under the constant kissing Carmen was giving his ear and neck. Without noticing, he started to finish her wound faster than he would have liked. The night was still a few hours away from finishing, but he was done with her wound. As he looked to his right, his eyes fell on hers and he dared to look at them for a bit longer.

End of chapter 9

Action of every type! Oh, this was a good chapter! What are your thoughts? Leave comments and review, please :D

Is it going on for too long? This was a long chapter, longest I have ever written on the fly and I don't know if the story is already taking too long. Don't want to make it a drag to read.


	10. Chapter 10

Been a while since I have written anything, but here I am again. Let's keep enjoying this piece of work. Hope you guys like this new chapter. First scene is a bit in sexual content so… you an skim through it, nothing new.

The Look in Her Eyes

Scene 1

The air was quite refreshing in the ventilation funnel. A concrete structure embedded deep in the earth to provide the air needed for the facility to work. Adorning the top was a giant fan that created interruptions of light from the moonlight above. The air however was starting to heat up at the bottom, where two figures were consummating their love.

In between echoes of moans there were echoes of laughter. Carmen and Kevin couldn't stop to laugh at times when the echoes of their love making surrounded them in a surreal state. Kevin had to constantly kiss Carmen on the mouth to stop her from moaning but he himself was often the one that expressed his pleasure more openly.

"I've never made love in such a fantastic place." Carmen whispered in Kevin's ear.

"I've never made love so intense as tonight," Kevin said kissing Carmen's breasts. "I'd like to continue over and over again."

"I never thought being under the law was so pleasurable, but…" Carmen toppled him and she landed on top of him. She started to rock herself riding him like a passive pony. "However, I'd like to introduce you to my world. If you let me?"

Kevin's eyes stilled as he pulled himself into a sitting position and aggressively kissed her neck. Both lovers's continued their repertoire of music in that symphony hall of concrete, and to Kevin's surprise he wanted more than just that night.

Scene 2

As planned one of the two independent cover up heists took place that day. Carmen had asked for this permission so as not to raise any rumors in the Underworld.

The world was all about the monument the great Carmen Sandiego had stolen that day. Little did they knew that the real action was on a nearby building where Sarah was in charge of installing a device and point it directly at a satellite.

The week passed without anything worth noting. They all practiced their moves as the heist would be taken the next week, and shortly after the second of the cover up heists Carmen was permited to do.

All week long Carmen and Kevin had enjoyed themselves in the ventilation funnel to the point of exhaustion. Morning came sooner than expected and both Kevin and Carmen felt the need for rest after the night they both had. But neither expressed their desire for some rest.

Finally the day of the big heist arrived. Carmen oversaw the final stages of the preparation and spoke with each one of them individually to help them understand some of their fears and to calm them down.

The day went smoothly but with tension. Carmen really was worried that something might go wrong and that she would be forced to abandon the detectives, so she spoke to her friends alone.

"This is actually an escape door, please use this permission wisely and as a last resort." Carmen said to Sarah and Hugo. "If anything goes wrong, leave them behind." Sarah and Hugo's eyes went wide open, they couldn't believe that Carmen was actually up for abandoning the detectives. "Yes, it is unexpected, but as of this afternoon they are not detectives to my eyes, nor yours, they are colleagues, henchmen, thieves just like us and all rules apply. Anyone that falls behind, is left behind. Kill those that need to be killed in order to save oneself or others. Don't wish things were different, just act with what you have been given. Understood?" Sarah and Hugo nodded in approval. "Let our hands be fast, our feet be swift and our minds be cunning." They clapped hands twice when Carmen finished her prayer, a small ritual she implemented just before any heist.

In the main room Ronaldo was the only higher up that was present at the time of the preparation and asked to be left alone with the detectives.

"Once you guys have exited the building, is your queue to betray Carmen. Make her change her plans and move to the destined location. No questions asked." Ronaldo handed them a map with the place marked in red and left the main room.

"She is risking her life for us and we are betraying her. I feel like the lowest scumbag ever." Zack said looking at the map.

"I know little bro, I don't even know if it is the right thing to do. Yes, she is a criminal, well more than a simple thief but she really knows how to gain your friendship."

"The mark of a great detective is to make the decisions at the right moment and to choose the path of righteousness." Kevin said this with a solemn face a plan formulating in his head.

"Well, people, hope we are ready cause tonight it is showtime. Finish the preparations of the equipment and take a nap or relax time or whatever zen thing I don't care nor give a shit. Just be rested and prepared by the 18th hour. We will be in position by the 20th and start the heist at the 23th hour. Go." Carmen said looking around and clapped her hands twice. Sarah and Hugo knew the drill and got to work. The detectives were a bit shocked not knowing what to do.

"That means do a last time revision of the plan and then go to sleep." Carmen came to them and said in a calm voice. "Calm down it will be all over in half an hour. Trust me."

The detectives started to look around busy, but Kevin's mind was elsewhere. Chief was the only one left to his own, so he went to where he felt safe, play a game of chess with Carmen.

At first when he entered the room she was lying on the bed and he turned around sadly.

"Don't leave me Chief, please." Carmen was looking straight at him. "I know I left you once, but I couldn't handle you leaving me."

"No need, my girl, I'm here." Chief floated gently to her bed. "Chess?"

Carmen put her finger on her lips and bit it as a small laugh invaded her system; he always knew how to relax her. How she had missed him.

"Sure, why not, we have an old score to settle."

As the chess game was set up, Chief suppressed several sighs that Carmen thought irritating. The game progressed on with silent looks and questions left unasked.

"You won't let them down, right Carmen?"

"I won't."

The game continued on, but Carmen was getting tired and that little anxiety she always felt before a heist was creeping in, making her feel uncomfortable.

"I need to confess you something Carmen." Chief said making a move that could prove bad for Carmen. "If… if you had ever come up to me and asked for my help and protection, I would have given it to you. I wouldn't let you go to jail; I wouldn't let them take you away. I'd break any law in order to protect you."

Carmen wasn't expecting this. This was something that caught her off guard and to which she had never prepared. She looked at him with her blue eyes and understood exactly what the Chief was trying to tell her. Her mind started to rise formulating an escape plan and suddenly she felt safe again. Under Chief's presence she always felt safe somehow.

"I was stupid to leave." Carmen finally confessed her true feelings as she forfeited the game.

"Just a mistake, no big deal." Chief ended the game panel and smiled. Both friends spend the rest of their time just looking at each other and after a while Carmen fell asleep. Chief stayed by her side guarding his only true friend.

Scene 3

10pm (20:00) – Location Outside Museum.

"Alright people, lets set up. Now" Carmen urged and the entire team spread to its positions.

Sarah was stationed in the monitoring van just outside the museum. Zack was the inside coordinator between what happened on the outside with Sarah and what was happening on the inside with Carmen. Chief was stationed at ACME monitoring the feeds offering feedback.

Kevin and Hugo where on the top floors monitoring any human activity and taking action in order to mitigate any human interaction. Kevin was in charge of neutralizing guards if any and Hugo had his sniper rifle just in case, this created some tension in the air. More so when Carmen was accessorizing herself with her .45s which caused some concern in Kevin and Ivy.

Carmen and Ivy where the ones that would portray the theft and the only ones that would have access to the open museum spaces. Ivy was limber and more flexible while Carmen had the experience.

Everyone readied themselves for the time to start. As soon as all their synchronized watches say 11:30pm the action will start.

"T minuz 30 secz, all zystems hot." Sarah started to block the alarms.

"Clear, starting the counters now." Zack said as the video and audio feedbacks that Sarah started to block were difused.

"Everything smooth." Chief said monitoring all.

"We are clear." Hugo said looking through the scope.

"Moving in 10." Carmen said looking at Ivy.

"5 and then live." Ivy said preparing to descend.

At 11:30 the video and audio feedback looped. The sensory alarms started to work intermittently but never faulting. A fault in the system would trigger a silent alarm that can't actually be tripped off. Ivy descended first landing near a statue while blocking herself from the lasers. Carmen was jumping from rafter to rafter buying her time between the lasers to descend.

The guard noticed something but Kevin muffled him and signaled to Hugo all was fine. Hugo kept looking at the other guard on the screening room but started to notice something was wrong. Kevin hid himself again as planned waiting for the signal to get out.

Ivy was at the pillar where the mask was already and Carmen soon fallowed from the other side. Both women had to work synchronized to deactivate the alarm and open the case. They worked silently and automatic, with hours of training. At last Carmen had the object in her hand, however a light tap was heard in her com from Sarah.

That was all it took to push Ivy down and go for her gun, when the first shot appeared. Bam Bam. Hugo had shot an intruder behind Ivy. He noticed the guard was dead seconds before Sarah's tap.

Sarah had been ambushed on the van and had to leave station, the tap is an auditoria message that she had to get up for the wrong reasons. Something that Carmen had trained her and her henchmen for years. Sarah managed to kill some of her assailants but needed to abandon post, since she had permission to leave from Carmen herself she so did.

"Alone." It was all that needed to be said. Code word to tell those inside they were alone.

Hugo managed to put the other assailant down but was surprised when a strong hand pulled him out of his post. Hugo wrestled the man and killed him with one of his knifes, but as soon as he did two more came at him with guns and Hugo quickly moved out. He had to escape, moving fast on the corridors returning fire from his handgun and covering himself with his rifle till he hit the escape door. The floor was three flights of stairs down but he jumped from one to the other just in time to catch one of the attackers as he peered through the door on the head. Bam Bam. He had to leave.

"Alone." Hugo shouted as the caught a glimpse of Sarah in the van turning around. Sarah opened the door an Hugo ran to it.

Zack heard the commotion outside with Sarah and went to see what was wrong. As he opened the door he watched Sarah run over some shooter and leave the scene. He quickly closed the door when the attackers spotted him. He ran towards where he knew Kevin was hidden still.

Kevin heard Hugo's shoots and looked around for Carmen and Ivy. He was making his way towards them when he bumped into Zack.

"What is happening?" Kevin asked him.

"Don't know Sarah was attacked outside and left where is Hugo?" Zack said looking up. "They are fallowing me."

"He left shooting at others." Kevin was getting worried. "We need to find Carmen and Ivy, come on."

Carmen grabbed Ivy by the arm and managed to move swiftly through the main floor. Evading the now live audio and video feedback on top of that the sensors that were back online.

Hugo may have killed two of the attackers but three others where in pursuit of them. She looked for cover in any place possible. Instructing Ivy to move while she scanned the area.

"What are we going to do?" Ivy said a little more frantic.

"Let me do my job." Carmen said pointing her gun to an opening, and surely enough after a few moments someone came out. Bam. She just needed one shot to put the attacker down. The others startled by the shot returned fire towards them. Bullets chipped away at the concrete pillar they used to hide.

Out of the corner of the room Carmen saw Kevin's scared face and made a run for it.

"Go now Ivy." Carmen stood up, took her other gun out and started to shoot one after the other while back pedaling towards where Kevin was. Her aim was not on the attackers but on the statue they used to cover. The big .45s chipped away at the feet and the statue crashed on the assailants.

"Go, go, go." Carmen urged them to run. They looked a bit lost so she took lead. Running through the whole museum for an exit. She could hear more footsteps and could see flashlights, probably from the guards of the museum making their way towards them.

"Big mistake." She whispered as she commanded the detectives to stay put while the guards passed. Bam Bam. The assailants killed the guards and that was the queue Carmen needed to proceed on the other direction.

They finally made it to the basement where some cars that were destined for museum VIP transportation where stored. Carmen choose a black bimmer M5 and prodded opened urging them to get in.

"You drive," Carmen said once she got it to start to Kevin. "I need to shoot at the ones that will fallow us."

"This is not good."

They got out of the museum's basement into the roads, making their way rather fast through the maze that was London's streets. Surely enough three black Cadillac SUVs started to fallow them.

"They are onto us." Zack said alarmed.

"I know, I'll take care of them." Carmen said opening the moonroof and positioning herself with her favorite long range gun on her hand.

"Where do you keep all your guns?" Ivy said scared.

"Close to my heart." Carmen said. Bam Bam Bam three shots and one of the SUVs got its radiator pulverized nearly colliding with the second one.

They kept coming but now the roads where more tight and Kevin was making all his effort to keep them from colliding with anything.

"Keep it cool Kevin and go to the highway." Carmen said trying to nail another SUV. Bam Bam. The second SUV shoot at them, breaking the passenger's side mirror an another one hit the roof close to Carmen. She lowered herself to avoid anymore shoots. "Uff, don't' want to get shoot only to have doctor Kevin here curing me." She said with a smile.

"You smiling at time like this?" Kevin said, he couldn't believe it but Carmen was enjoying this way too much.

"Relax, this is all playtime for me." She assured him with a wink and suddenly he didn't felt scared, he just enjoyed driving fast.

But the second SUV kept firing at them and Carmen couldn't get on top nor out the sides to return fire.

"Move a little Kevin. Swirl, shift, drive this V10 faster." Carmen urged him.

"I'm trying this is new for me."

"Oh we need to give you lessons if you want to come with me."

"Wait what, what are you doing?"

"Move it let me drive."

"But who is going to shoot at them, I'm getting very sick back here." Zack said curled on the backseat while Ivy protected him.

Kevin managed to get out of the drivers' seat while Carmen moved to it. As soon as she felt in control she slammed that gas and drove like mad. Both SUV's had trouble catching up to the fast bimmer, but something in her mind told her to finish them all there. She took out her trusty Matchmaster and started to double load it.

"What are you doing?" Ivy said when she caught a glimpse of light reflected from the metal on Carmen's gun.

Kevin had been looking at the road and only reacted when Ivy spoke.

"Wait what are you going to do now?" He asked knowing well he didn't wanted to know the answer.

"I'll show you what feeling alive feels like." She said smiling and looking at him.

She made the car skid to the left, making it drift in a linear path so that the driver's window faced the main SUV. She lowered the window, pulled her gun out and just waited for the right moment. Her other hand hard on the steering wheel, holding it tightly against the torque forced produced by the tight turn she had taken. Her feet slammed against the gas pedal that was forced hard against the back it could as well be welded to it.

Seconds passed with this action, but as soon as the driver in the SUV saw her move he did the same. He exposed his driver's side to the car and took out his gun.

"Big mistake, asshole." Carmen said as she pulled the trigger. BamBam Bam. Her double shot went clean above the front wheel, hitting the air suspension system and making the SUV loose balance. The second shot got the wheel and it made the whole SUV tumble forward and hard. Killing the assailant that was on the driver side the instant it hit the pavement. The passenger went flying out the window landing hard on the bonnet of the second SUV, scaring the driver and making him slam the SUV on the side rails. Both passenger and driver in the second SUV lurched forward slamming their heads on the windshield, breaking their skulls on it as they passed through the glass.

Carmen quickly corrected the drift making the car lurch forward and continued her way through the lighted highway. She closed the passenger window, turned on some music, put her gun away behind her back and relaxed putting her arm on the side rest.

Kevin, Ivy and Zack where still in shock after witnessing this disaster and just stared at her.

"What?" She said amused and smiled at them. "It's all a days work."

End of Chapter 10

Oh yes… I'm back and with a vengeance. What did you guys think about this chapter? Does the action look real?


	11. Chapter 11

I need some writer's stopper… or something like that. Hope you guys liking this story cause it just got out of control on my part, I'm such a good person and I can't really say no to good plot. Well, let's continue shall we.

The Look in Her Eyes

Scene 1

"They are all dead right," Zack said after a while, like waking up from a bad dream. He had never been in such a difficult scene in which he could literally watch how a man died.

"Yes, they are." Ivy wouldn't show it but she wanted to cry, but only managed to hug her little brother.

"Well it was either them or us," Carmen said as tranquil as ever. "These things happen in my world, I'm used to it. My apologies for the mishaps, but this was actually a risk you guys took. It really can't surprise you that in my work environ I wont' get to shoot at people. It's part of who I am."

Kevin only looked at her with angry eyes. So this was his wife, an uncaring dirty bitch. He couldn't understand what he saw in her to fall madly in love with her all those years ago. Carmen knew he was looking, that intense stare was burning on her face and she felt it. Some minutes passed and Kevin relaxed. He had been thinking about the betrayal and planned to act on it.

"You should…" his voice felt a bit short. "You should turn on the next exit. We had a change in location for the drop off, it won't…."

His words were cut off when he saw they were gaining up on what appeared to be Sarah's van. In a bit they had gotten up to what actually was Sarah and Hugo. Hugo was driving and Sarah was on the passenger seat her Baretta XX-treme pointing directly at Kevin.

"I don't understand what is going on?" Kevin sounded desperate. Click. He felt the cold metal of a gun on his neck. He didn't reacted as he heard Ivy breath deep and he knew they were being kidnapped.

Carmen had pulled her gun to his neck and as he turned his head to look at her he got a clear glimpse of her face. The look in her eyes was dangerous, one he had never seen before. Ivy was in the back seat protecting her little brother, but Zack was actually quite mad with exhaustion. He intently looked at Carmen and wondered if maybe.

"Calm down and everything will be alright Zack." Carmen had a sixth sense when it came to these things. She enjoyed every second of it.

But he couldn't take it anymore. Zack launched himself towards Carmen's arm, but she knocked him back. She hit him on the face with her gun and blood started to pour out his nose and broken lip. Kevin went to react but heard Hugo's gun click and stopped. Ivy went for Carmen's neck when Zack got hit, BAM.

"Aaahhh.." Ivy screamed in pain. Sarah had shot her on the thigh. The bullet only grazed her thigh but still hurt a lot. The bullet embedded itself on the door with Sarah's laughter on the van.

"You shot me." Ivy was freaking out. "Oh my god, it hurts so bad."

"Sis, you alright, ouch, man this hurts. Ivy, your bleeding… please, make it stop…please.."

"SHUT UP!" Carmen pushed her gun on Kevin's neck making him whimper as she was causing pressure on his neck. "I DON'T TAKE BETRAYEL THAT WELL." She punched Kevin on the neck making him scream. He curled as waves of pain scoured his body. Zack was bleeding heavily as well as Ivy. She was applying pressure on her bullet wound while trying to clean Zack's face. He wouldn't let her; he was applying pressure as well to her thigh.

"You guys think I'm stupid enough to let myself be caught by you guys in this fiasco of a theft." Carmen holstered her gun and kept driving, indicating Hugo to get behind her. "I'll make the drop off alright, but under MY terms. You guys will be the insurance, since I don't know to whom I'll give this item to. I could care less if it was Chief or Dustin himself. I will wash my hands from this nonsense."

She kept driving like mad, rushing the V10 past 160mph, making it difficult for the van to keep up. All three passengers were injured in one way or another. Ivy was sobbing lightly and Zack for the first time was the one holding her. Kevin only dared to look outside the window, in a way he felt he had let everyone down.

A little after morning they stepped out of the highway into a dirt road. Some hours passed traveling on rough terrain that made the bimmer loose some of its plastic moldings. They came up to an open space with a wired fence, two concealed armed guards on the entrance that startled Kevin a bit. They didn't even come up to the car, they both knew who it was on the driver's seat. They opened the gate and the car rushed past them with Sarah and Hugo shortly after.

The road started to descend and on the lowest part a metal door opened letting both cars inside. It was a massive concrete structure with steel trusses high above the ceiling. On one side it housed an helicopter and two planes. Personnel were on the other side, sorting all kinds of cargo. Kevin knew this was one of Carmen's base, where all her illegal operations took place, what got him even more worried was what where on the boxes he could see weapons, drugs, exotic animals and stolen goods.

"Needless to say you're my prisoner's now." Carmen said parking the car in the middle of the place. She got out and was greeted with respect. Personnel walked to her awaiting her orders. "Take them to holding, but first treat their wounds, the hard way. That will teach them never to mess with me again." She said this looking straight at them, the look in her eyes was one of death.

Scene 2

"No sign of the package, over." The radio sounded on the base.

"Where are they, they should be here by now." Sebastian was looking intently at the horizon. "Chief you said there was a problem on the heist but they all got out of it. Where are they?" Sebastian was getting inpatient.

"I don't know I lost GPS track on their coms just after they left the building. I know they are on the road, they probably got detained a bit. Carmen will pull through you will see." Somehow he wasn't sure of it, and strangely enough he was relieved they hadn't arrived.

"Patience, they will arrive. I know Carmen, she is not really interested in the item." Mass wasn't worried he had sent two of his best units after them on equipped SUVs.

By mid morning tensions where high on the base. Sebastian had called the other higher ups to it to discuss further actions, as it looked like the mission was failed. They needed to search of the detectives and Carmen without making a fuss out of things.

Santos Xuan, Lana Torres and Edward Camps where the only ones that could make the reunion. They were all hustled up on the meeting room of the base having the others on conference call. Mass stepped outside for a moment, while the argument heated inside.

"Carmen betrayed us, that is the only explanation." Camps shouted over everyone's discussion.

"We have no confirmation of that." Lana said. "All we know is that we got tipped off and our team got jumped on the inside. The last we know of them was that they were being fallowed by two SUVs that have no connection to anything we know off."

The discussion went on and on about what was the next plan of action. Sebastian noticed that Mass was missing. He wondered why his old mentor was acting so strange as of late.

Scene 3

"We have a problem sir," Mass whispered on his cell phone. "The heist and ambush went as planned but Carmen is no where to be seen and the object is on the wind."

"I don't tolerate incompetence." A grutural voice was heard over the phone. It belonged to a well dressed man sitted along side a pool where topless women were bathing. Dustin loved a good cigar while he watched his harem enjoy themselves. "We had a deal Mass, you gave me the item and I give you Carmen. This was an easy task, no hastle and we both would get a lot of money."

"Yes, however it hasn't been confirmed that we lost the packages and two of my best.."

"NOTHING." Dustin got up, making one of his hookers fall to the ground. "I DON'T accept any excuses. I have paid your luxurious home in LA all these years to feed me information and what do I get…NOTHING. Now I have to clean up your mess, Mass. And in the mean time, I'll clean you. Have a good life."

Dustin threw his phone on the seat and stretched. He unbuttoned his pant and waved to the hooker that was on the floor to do her magic with him. As he was enjoyed being played with by the hooker's tongue he called for his main man with his fingers.

"Start the hunt for Carmen Sandiego. Keep it between us, I don't know what she is playing at….oh yes… since apparently stealing the item wasn't her priority…. Oh, deeper baby, you can go deeper… Kill the detectives but watch her closely, she has something up her sleeve. Tell her I'll negotiate the item for what ever she is planning….Yes, take it all in, that's it.."

Scene 4

Mass started to sweat a little. He had just been sentenced to death and he knew it. He knew his family was in danger and called them.

"Hey honey, hope you make it back on time tonight, I made your favorite pork shop with vegetables." His wife was his angel.

"Hey, baby, hum… remember what we talked about Dustin?" He heard her inhale deeply. "Things went bad on this mission, baby… I need you to… pack something and wait for me at ACME. We need to leave now." He heard her sobbing and the line went dead. "Baby… honey…." He put his phone back on his jacket and turned around to enter the meeting.

"You were the one that betrayed us from the start." Sebastian and Camp where standing at the door.

Mass was startled by his colleagues. He had betrayed them for so long he didn't felt any shame at all, he only felt exhaustion and his demeanor crumbled.

"Yes. It was me."

In a fit of rage Sebastian hit Mass on the face with a fist and he smashed hard against the wall before falling to the floor. Mass put his arms up in defeat and Camp held Sebastian back.

"There are three of my finest detective's lives at stake here. Why have you done this?"

"Money." Mass said, he finally went crazy. "You think I care at all about this stinking law enforcement thing. He He He." He started laughing manically. "Dustin offered me much more, so much, that you can't even dream off." He watched as Sebastian's face changed to horror and enjoyed it.

"How many more of my agents did you put at risk? How many more operations did you sabotaged?"

"You ain't got a clue of who is really running this agency kid. If your going to arrest me do so, I'm a dead man anyways."

"I'll see you stocked up on a cell, all alone." Sebastian handcuffed him. "I also will love to see your face when I tell you your wife died in prison."

Mass' eyes widened. "She didn't do anything. She is innocent, It was all me."

"Don't worry I have much more to offer you, that you can't imagine." Sebastian said giving Mass to the officer that came to answer Camps call. "She will be much safer in prison than out, or so I have heard. Take him away."

By late afternoon, both Mass and his wife where sent to jail on a special location for ACME purpose.

"Now let's get our people." Sebastian concluded the meeting.

Scene 5

Ivy screamed in pain as the doctor and nurse treated her wound. The bullet had crossed from side to side on the side of her thigh and it was very painful. The doctor cleaned and prepared to close the wound with stitching while the nurses hold Ivy down. Zack was on the other side of the room guarded by two henchmen and the nurse that was treating his face. He couldn't stand to hear Ivy scream like that and even tried to get to her, only to receive a punch in his stomach.

Kevin was already in the holding cell on the basement of Carmen's lair. Pondering to himself why him of all things. Who betrayed who? Why was this happening? Are they looking for them? He kept on with his thoughts until he realized he was walking in circles on that small cell. The cells where open on the sides with bars, and a big locked door on the front. The only wall was the one on the back and there were no windows on site. The only source of light was a small florescent bulb on the center.

There were ten cells in there, and many of them had evidence of resent use, something that disgusted Kevin even more. He thought the worst, from human trafficking to tortured captives. At that time the door to the cells opened and they brought Zack in and placed him on a cell opposite to Kevin. The men looked at each other and watched how the henchmen locked the main door and left them there.

"Hey, kid. How are you? What did they do to you? What about Ivy?"

"They are stitching her up something badly." Zack said grabbing the bars of his cell. "She is crying and I can't do anything about it."

"It's alright, we will manage. Don't worry, I'll get us out of here. You will see."

"I can't imagine how. It is not like you hold any power over Carmen." Zack retired to the back wall where there was a single bed. "The way I see it, she would rather use you than pair up with you. So, please you and your 'I can catch her' thing, is just making it worse." Zack crumbled on the bed and both men remained silent.

After some time which seemed like hours to them, the doors opened again. They brought in a sobbing Ivy and placed her on a cell. She was on the same row as Kevin but a cell apart, so as not to encourage interaction with any of them. The guards left and locked the door, leaving them all in silence.

"Ivy, how are you?" Kevin asked, seeing that Zack had his mouth shacking.

"They… got me treated. It wasn't that painful, but I was just scared." Ivy said getting on the bed. "If you guys don't mind, I want to take a rest."

"Sure thing, rest."

"Ivy, we are going to be ok, I promise." Zack said in such a clear voice that made Ivy turn on the bed and look at him. She had never seen such determination on his face and she smiled weakly at him before attempting to sleep.

At what they presumed was nightfall, the single fluorescent light bulb was turned off and they heard the guard say goodnight to them. The room was pitch black and they couldn't see anything. After a while the only source of light was a slim line below the door, their only hope for a tomorrow.

Scene 6

"Kidnapping ACME agents, that was brilliant Carmen." A voice was heard over the telephones speaker. "I imagine the plan is coming along nicely."

"Oh it is, those ACME guys will never know what hit them. The third phase is being prepared as we speak, I imagine my greatest theft ever will be done sooner than I expected." Carmen said relaxing on her desk chair.

"Well now about business, this shipment of yours, where do you want it sent and when?"

"That is how I like it, Esteban, you serving me for once." She laughed.

"You know I always love to serve you my lady." They both laughed at this and started doing business.

"So, can you tell me the details?"

"Yes, there will be three medium sized crates. Will be live stock and will need to be ventilated and be marked as fragile. They will be shipped from France to Los Angeles and it must be expedited immediately once received."

"Live cargo? Hum, that is new for you Carmen, what are you smuggling?"

"If I suck your dick harder tonight, will you stop asking questions?"

"For that price, yes. He He!" Esteban laughed, he knew she was actually going to pay that request. "Your place or mine?"

"Mine as always, you have a nasty habit of inviting other females on the party and frankly, I don't want any girls on me tonight."

"Very well then. No questions asked, and the business will be condoned in secret. Deal."

"Deal." They both hung up.

Carmen leaned back on her chair, she didn't wanted to admit that the thought of having a night with Esteban was actually making her anxious with glee. However there was a little longing for Kevin, sleeping alone in the dark downstairs. This was not how she envisioned things would happen, but now she can't turn back. The fire kept crackling behind her and she fell asleep to its spell, only to be awaken by Sarah announcing Esteban was in her room.

"The things I do for love."

"Don'tz we all." Sarah said, as both friends walked down the hallway.

"Prepare the prisoners for an early morning routine. We are going live tomorrow at 7:00. Have them brought up to me on the platform. I will offer them the chance to be free, or die as heroes."

"Willz you really zhreaten zhem?"

"If front of everyone… yes, I will. Once I finish you send it to ACME, leave those sons of bitches a parting gift from me." Carmen smiled at Sarah, and they both laughed. Sarah would deny this any day but, she respected and feared Carmen more than anything in the world.

End of Chapter 11

What a strong chapter, zomg.. so intriguing. Atleast I solved one of the subplots.. that is progress, no?

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